Good evening everybody and welcome to another MARCA in English live blog, this time taking you through the LaLiga EASports clash between Levante and Barcelona at the Estadio Ciudad De Valencia.
Barcelona started their title defense with a commanding 3-0 win away to Mallorca. Early goals from Raphinha and Ferran Torres, combined with two red cards for Mallorca, made for a dominant display. Lamine Yamal added a third late on, signaling the depth in Hansi Flick’s squad.
After scoring 102 league goals last season and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona look even stronger with Marcus Rashford joining the attack. Despite six league defeats last term, they remain clear favorites to retain the title.
As for Levante, they are back in La Liga after winning the 2024-25 Segunda Division, sealing promotion with a dramatic 3-2 win at Burgos. Under Julian Calero, they return to the top flight for the first time since 2022 and will look to secure back-to-back seasons at this level.
Historically, this fixture has heavily favored the Catalan side–Levante have beaten Barcelona only four times in 34 league meetings. Their last victory came in November 2019, when they stunned the visitors 3-1 at home. They also edged a memorable 5-4 thriller in May 2018.
Levante were beaten by Alaves – a fellow side expected to fight relegation – on the opening day, highlighting the difficulty of their campaign ahead.
Levante vs Barcelona LIVE – Latest Updates
Rashford gets the nod for Barcelona
The Barcelona coaching staff have faith in Marcus Rashford’s this season, as his versatility in attack is a resource that Flick values highly. The Englishman was able to make his debut in Mallorca and makes his debut as a starter today.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Odds are against Levante
A reminder that Levante have only beaten Barca four times in 34 league meetings. Their last victory came in November 2019, when they stunned the visitors 3-1 at home. They also edged a memorable 5-4 thriller in May 2018.
Levante vs Barcelona – Possible Lineups
Levante predicted XI: Campos; Elgezabal, Fuente, Cabello; Toljan, Lozano, Rey, Sanchez; Martinez; Romero, Brugue
Barcelona predicted XI: Garcia; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres
Where to watch Levante vs Barcelona?
For fans in the United Kingdom, Levante vs Barcelona can be seen on Premier Sports and Disney+.
US-based fans will be able to see Levante vs Barcelona on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.
What time does Levante vs Barcelona start?
Levante vs Barcelona is a 21:30 CET kick-off, which is local time in Spain. That means fans in the UK will find the game starting at 20:30 GMT.
Fans in the USA can tune in to watch Levante vs Barcelona at 15:30 ET / 12:30 PT.
Read the full article here
