Levante vs NS Villarreal

Survival on the Line: Levante's Last Stand Against Rampant Villarreal

Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 76/100. Levante faces an existential crisis: four consecutive defeats, zero home wins in six attempts, and a Villarreal side riding five straight victories with third-place credentials.

The Setup

This is a six-pointer in the truest sense. Levante sits 19th with nine points—one win away from genuine safety, yet four losses away from oblivion. Villarreal, third with 32 points and a +16 goal difference, arrives as executioners. The stakes could not be higher for the hosts: another defeat deepens the relegation wound; a win halts the bleeding. The balance is grotesquely one-sided. Levante concedes 2.7 goals per game at home; Villarreal has shipped only 13 in 14 matches. This is not a contest between equals—it's a test of whether desperation can overcome tactical superiority.

The Tactical Battle

Villarreal will suffocate possession. Their high press, orchestrated through midfield control, will force Levante into long balls and turnovers. Gerard Moreno (four goals in five matches, 7.8 average rating) will hunt for spaces behind a fragile Levante backline. The Yellow Submarine's away record is brutal: 57.1% win rate on the road. Levante's only hope lies in pragmatism—sit deep, hit on transition, and pray Mathew Ryan (four saves per game) performs heroics in goal.

Our Prediction

Villarreal controls the first half; Levante absorbs and occasionally threatens. By the 60th minute, Moreno or Alberto Moleiro (four goals in five) break through. Levante's resistance crumbles under sustained pressure. Villarreal wins 2-0, consolidating third place while Levante edges closer to the abyss.