Levante and Villarreal will face each other this Wednesday at the Ciutat de València in a crucial regional clash that was postponed last December due to heavy rains. Both teams are in urgent need of the three points at stake to bolster their respective objectives in LaLiga EA Sports.
The Levante team, still reeling from a painful derby loss against Valencia, currently sits second from the bottom in the league standings. A victory against Villarreal could narrow their gap to the safety zone to just four points, making this match essential as it corresponds to the sixteenth round of the championship that was initially canceled due to a red alert.
Levante’s coach, Luís Castro, will be missing injured players Brugué and Pablo Martínez, the latter suffering from a left knee ligament sprain after the Valencia match. Additionally, Arriaga is suspended due to a red card he received for applauding the referee, though this punishment has yet to be officially confirmed. Midfielder Ugo Raghouber is also doubtful for the match, having only trained with the team on Tuesday.
On the brighter side, Castro will have reinforcements as he welcomes back Toljan and Matturro after their suspensions last weekend. The coach is expected to make several changes to the lineup that lost to Valencia, potentially including the return of Cameroon striker Etta Eyong. However, the team must pay Villarreal €100,000 if he features in the match, as outlined in the transfer agreement made last summer.
Meanwhile, Villarreal is looking for a crucial victory to distance themselves from their pursuers and break a worrying trend of form, as they have won only once in their last six league games, including three consecutive away match losses. Under coach Marcelino García Toral, Villarreal’s cushion over rivals like Real Betis has shrunk to just four points in the race for Champions League spots.
For this match, Gerard Moreno is still sidelined due to ongoing muscular issues, and Dani Parejo’s participation is uncertain due to similar concerns. However, Marcelino has welcomed back Sergi Cardona and Alberto Moleiro, who had to sit out the previous match because of a viral infection.
The probable lineups for the match are as follows:
Levante: Ryan, Toljan, Dela, Matturro, Manu Sánchez, Vencedor, Olasagasti, Paco Cortés, Carlos Álvarez, Tunde or Iván Romero, and Etta.
Villarreal: Luiz Júnior; Mouriño, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, Pedraza; Comesaña, Pape Gueye, Buchanan, Moleiro; Nicolas Pepe and Mikautadze.
With the match set at the Ciutat de València kicking off at 20:00 hours, both teams will strive to turn their fortunes around, making this a highly anticipated encounter for fans and players alike.