Overview
Levante entered the new season as the reigning Second Division champions, qualifying for a return to La Liga after a year of absence.
Julian Calero's side are aiming to stay in Spain's top flight for longer, something they have not been able to do since 2022.
However, this road promises not to be easy. The defeat to Alaves in the previous round was a harsh warning, especially when the Basque opponent is also a candidate for relegation.
The history of confrontations is not on Levante's side. They have won just six of their five meetings with Barcelona, most recently a narrow 2-3 defeat in April 2022.
Their last victory over the Catalan giants came in November 2019. However, Levante fans still remember the crazy 5-4 home game in May 2018 - one of the most dramatic confrontations in La Liga history.
In an effort to strengthen, Levante spent heavily in the summer transfer window, with the most notable signing being Jon Ander Olasagasti from Real Sociedad. The midfielder's appearance is expected to bring more steel and creativity to their midfield.
As for Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions did not have to spend much energy in the opening match of the 2025-2026 season when they easily defeated Mallorca 3-0 away.
Raphinha and Ferran Torres scored early in just 23 minutes, while Mallorca were chased by two players in the first half. The game was then completely in the hands of coach Hansi Flick's team, before young talent Lamine Yamal sealed the score in the final minutes.
This victory helped Barcelona rise to the top of the rankings with 3 points, affirming their position as the number one candidate for the championship. With superior squad quality and the blockbuster addition of Marcus Rashford in the summer, it is difficult for Real Madrid or any other opponent to stop them from getting to the finish line.
Last season, Barcelona scored 102 goals in their journey to the La Liga title, and this number could be completely broken in this year's season. However, the Catalan team still lost 6 matches in La Liga last season. This shows the problem in their defense.
"I don't like this game. Those are 3 important points, but I don't like that. After leading 2-0 and Mallorca received 2 red cards, I thought the team played with 50% strength and I didn't like that. We can do better. I will talk to them" - Hansi Flick said after the win over Mallorca.
In addition to the ambition to defend the domestic title, Flick and his students certainly also set a high goal in the Champions League, where they stopped in the semi-finals last season.
Personnel situation
Levante entered the match with a significant loss as goalkeeper Alfonso Pastor was injured, while the possibility of Olasagasti, Kervin Arriaga, Goduine Koyalipou and Alan Matturro playing is still open.
However, new signing Jeremy Toljan - who scored in his debut match against Alaves - is almost certain to continue to feature on the right wing, alongside Manu Sanchez on the opposite side.
Up front, Roger Brugue, the striker who scored 11 goals last season, continues to be the biggest hope for the home team.
On the other hand, Barcelona also have problems with their squad. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still absent due to a back injury, while Robert Lewandowski has returned to training but struggled to start due to not being in the best physical condition after a hamstring injury.
Hansi Flick will likely leave Lewandowski on the bench, giving way to Ferran Torres - who just scored against Mallorca. Jules Kounde is expected to start on the right wing, while Fermin Lopez is trying to keep his position in the face of fierce competition from Dani Olmo.
Expected lineup:
Levante: Campos, Elgezabal, Fuente, Cabello, Toljan, Lozano, Rey, Sanchez, Martinez, Romero, Brugue.
Barcelona: Garcia, Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde, Pedri, De Jong, Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha, Torres.
The match between Levante and Barcelona takes place at 2:30 am on August 23 (Vietnam time).
