La Liga
Levante vs Barcelona Preview
Barcelona Will Need to Overcome Their Fears to Exact Revenge at Levante
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 16
- Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Ciutat de València
- TV channel: beIN Sports
More Than Meets the Eye
At first glance, Barcelona’s visit to Levante is nothing more than another trip to a hapless mid-table side. However, this match-up actually holds some of the most intrigue of any early-season La Liga fixture. It was only back in May that Barcelona was two matches away from an invincible league campaign.
While arch rivals Madrid would soon win their third consecutive Champions League, Barcelona would have been able to maintain their pride by being the first Spanish side to go unbeaten in a 38 game league season. They also had a chance of finishing an astonishing 20 points above their their rivals. Then disaster struck. Barcelona’s 43 match league unbeaten streak came to a screeching halt as they fell 5-4 at Levante. Now Barcelona returns to Ciutat de València stadium for the first time, desperate for revenge.
Were Supernatural Forces at Play?
Many believe Levante’s stadium to be haunted. There is a chunk missing from the South end of the structure. A women many believe to be evil refused to sell the team the land needed to complete that portion of the stadium. In 2005, Málaga striker Duda had the South goal at his mercy. Instead of shooting, his body appeared to glitch and he instead attempted an awkward pass. After the match he claimed to have seen a ghost protecting the goal. A club gardener recently was even forced to call the police after he saw a spirit hovering by the same goal.
It’s easy to dismiss those stories as nonsense. Surely Messi and company aren’t affected by ghosts. But it’s hard to account for their 5-4 loss any other way. In a match many viewed as a formality, the favorites fell behind 5-1 to 15th-placed Levante. It was only the second time they had conceded five in a league game this millennium. Barcelona had only conceded 24 times in the 36 matches prior. Lastly, Messi was a healthy scratch and wasn’t even in the arena for the match.
Barcelona had bizarrely scheduled a mid-season friendly in Africa three days later that Messi was contractually obligated to appear in. The club watched their invincible season crumble without the best player in the world available to salvage the match. All because they wanted him fresh for a friendly created only to increase the size of Barcelona’s brand and wallet. The notion that ghosts affected the outcome of the match is probably less preposterous than how Barcelona handled Messi. Nothing about that match made sense.
Dembélé the Man to Watch
Messi will certainly feature this time around, but it is his colleague Ousmane Dembélé that the soccer world will be focused on. Dembélé has had a checkered start to his Barcelona career. A microcosm of that can be seen in the last two weeks. During that time, the attacker scored a golazo in the derby vs Espanyol. Then he proceeded to miss a practice, claiming he overslept. Instead of benching him as punishment, manager Ernesto Valverde chose to make him play against Tottenham on Tuesday, in a game where the Barcelona regulars were rested. He proceeded to score a sensational long-distance solo goal. Transfer and disciplinary rumors have hovered over Dembélé since his arrival at the Camp Nou. Now everyone will be watching to see if he is given a start at Levante or benched as a retroactive punishment.
Recent From
Levante Manager Paco Lopez has done a remarkable job since taking over last season. In fact, his first match was the astounding 5-4 triumph over Barcelona. Levante have lost just once in their last 9 league games, including a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. Only Barcelona has spent more time leading games this season. Similarly, only Barcelona have converted a higher percentage of their shots to goals. The team currently sit in an impressive 7th place. They head into this match filled with confidence as they attempt to do the impossible twice.
Barcelona has not shown its typical dominance domestically this season. The club “only” collected 31 points from its opening 15 fixtures. This would have left them tied for 4th had they played in England, but in Spain it sees them atop the table. The team also won its Champions League group. Most clubs would love to have Barcelona’s problems. The Catalan giants seek their third consecutive league win, after resting their regulars and drawing against spurs on Tuesday.
Prediction
Both Ateltico and Sevilla could catch Barcelona should they fall at Levante again. However, all the motivation they need should come from the prospect of revenge. Expect a high-energy performance as they aim to please their manager and avenge their history making loss. Having the luxury of resting most of their regulars midweek will benefit the team greatly. Having Messi available will help even more.
Levante will attempt to sit back and catch Barcelona on the counter, just as they accomplished in May. This time they will be less successful, though there will still be some nervy moments for Barcelona. Look for Barcelona to overcome Levante and the ghosts of the past in an exciting game where both sides score.
Final Score: Levante 1-3 Barcelona
Photo credit to PJB PRO via Flickr
