Levante vs Barcelona, ​​La Liga: Team News, Match Preview

Levante UD (fifteenth, 0pts) vs FC Barcelona (1st, 3pts)*

*Standings at starting of Matchday

Competitors/Spherical: 2025-26 La Liga, Matchday 2

Barcelona Outs & Doubts:

Levante Outs & Doubts: Alan Maturro, Alfonso Pastor, Jon Olasasgasti, Kervin Arriaga, Goduine Koyalipou (DOUBT)

Date/Time: Saturday, August 23, 2025, 9.30pm CET (Barcelona), 8.30pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 3.30pm ET, 13.30pm PT (USA), 1am IST (India, Sunday)

VENUE: Stadium Metropolis of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Referee: Alejandro Hernández

Learn how to watch on TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), SuperSport (Nigeria), Movistar (Spain), others

Learn how to watch on-line: ESPN+ (USA), Prime Video (UK), FanCode (India), Movistar+ (Spain), others

Following a strong win away to Mallorca to start their La Liga title protection final weekend, Barcelona are again in motion with one other highway journey because the champions journey to València to face final season’s Second Division title holders Levante on the Ciutat de València Stadium on Saturday Night time Fútbol.

Barça come into this one seeking to shake off the considerably unusual vibes regardless of a 3-0 win and a clear sheet of their season opener, however the method of the efficiency, particularly after Mallorca went all the way down to 9 males, left quite a bit to be desired when it comes to focus and depth from a Barça facet that’s often ruthless underneath Hansi Flick however appeared gradual and uninterested for giant elements of the second half final week.

Flick referred to as out his workforce publicly and privately for his or her poor exhibiting and has urged his facet to place collectively an entire efficiency on this one, and so they’ll actually must do it as a result of taking part in Levante away hasn’t gone very effectively for Barça in current occasions: the Catalans have gained simply two of their final six video games on the Ciutat de València in all competitions, and have to be prepared for a battle from the beginning.

Levante gained their league final season with a powerful protection and a harmful counter-attacking outfit, and so they’ll use that formulation to try to pull off the upset on Saturday. They’re anticipated to play a again 5 with two fast wing-backs and two quick strikers up entrance, in order that they actually have the personnel to trigger this Barça workforce hassle.

The Blaugrana might be huge favorites to win in opposition to a Levante facet nonetheless struggling to register their gamers — as of this writing, solely 17 outfield gamers have been registered, a lot of them academy merchandise — and that might be betting on a variety of youth and their good house crowd to try to survive the highest flight this season, particularly in early weeks.

Levante will think about a degree a serious consequence in opposition to the mighty Barça, however they at all times discover a solution to make issues bizarre and chaotic in opposition to the Catalans at house and may steal all three if Flick’s troops aren’t on it from the beginning.

Barça should play severe, centered, intense, inventive soccer from the beginning, take their possibilities early and by no means cease attacking. That’s how they gained virtually every little thing final season, and that’s how they’ll attempt to win every little thing on this one.

Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Garcia; Eric, Araujo, Cubsí, Balde; Of Jong, Pedrius; Yamal, Olm, Raphinha; Ferran

Levante (5-3-2): Cuñat; Toljan, from La Fuente, Elgezabal, Cabello, Sánchez; Álvarez, Rey, Martínez; Romero, I bruise

Levante away is at all times bizarre, however I count on Barça to reply after final week’s underwhelming win and placed on a powerful efficiency with one other highway win: 3-1 to the great guys.