Overview
Espanyol once made a strong impression in the first half of the season, even expected to compete for the top 4, but entering 2026, the Catalan team still does not know the taste of victory.
The last time Espanyol triumphed was a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on December 22, 2025. Since then, they have declined and dropped to 12th place in the La Liga standings.
Currently, Espanyol is 6 points behind sixth-placed Getafe, but also only 4 points ahead of the relegation group - a gap that shows a very unstable situation. Coach Manolo Gonzalez's team just lost 0-1 to Rayo Vallecano, marking their fourth defeat in the last 5 matches.
However, Espanyol still has an advantage against Levante with 17 wins compared to 10 defeats, while 16/43 encounters between the two teams ended in a draw.
In the opposite direction, Levante is struggling in the relegation race. With 32 points after 32 rounds, they are ranked 19th, 3 points behind the safe group. However, the recent form of coach Luis Castro's team is quite positive when winning 3/4 of the recent matches, including victories against Getafe and Sevilla.
However, the race in the bottom group is still very tense as direct opponents are also continuously accumulating points, in the context that Mallorca just stumbled against Alaves.
Levante has a poor away record with 12 points after 15 matches, while Espanyol possesses home form in the bottom group of the league - a factor that makes the upcoming match situation unpredictable.
Personnel situation
Espanyol will continue to be without Javi Puado due to a long-term injury, while Fernando Calero needs a late fitness check to determine his ability to play.
However, the home team welcomed good news when Urko Gonzalez returned after suspension and is likely to start. In attack, Kike Garcia - the team's number one scorer with 8 goals - continues to be the hope even though he is 36 years old.
On the other side, Levante does not have the services of Roger Brugue, Unai Elgezabal and Kareem Tunde due to fitness issues. In addition, Ivan Romero is also absent due to suspension after receiving enough yellow cards.
In attack, young talent Carlos Espi - who has scored 8 goals in 19 matches in La Liga - continues to be expected to lead the away team's attack.
Expected lineup:
Dmitrovic, El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero, Gonzalez, Terrats, Ngonge, Exposito, Dolan, K. Garcia.
Ryan, Toljan, Moreno, De la Fuente, Sanchez, V. Garcia, Olasgasti, Raghouber, Martinez, Alvarez, Espi.
The match between Espanyol and Levante takes place at 2:00 AM on April 28 (Vietnam time).
