Barcelona must respond to back-to-back defeats and get their La Liga title push on track again when they host strugglers Levante on Sunday.
Embarrassment in the Copa del Rey at the hands of Atlético Madrid forced introspection but it had little impact on Barça’s league return, Hansi Flick’s men stumbling to a controversial 2–1 defeat at Catalan rivals Girona. Two harmful defeats mean their cup dreams are in tatters and they now trail Real Madrid in La Liga.
Fortunately for La Blaugrana, they face one of the easiest fixtures remaining in their campaign. While they only narrowly beat Levante in August’s reverse fixture, requiring a late own goal to edge a 3–2 blockbuster, Luís Castro’s side are in disappointing form and serious candidates to be demoted.
Barça should take out their frustrations on their Valencian visitors this weekend having had a full week to recover from their loss at the Estadi Montilivi.
What Time Does Barcelona vs. Levante Kick Off?
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
- Kick-off Time: 10:15 a.m. ET / 7:15 a.m. PT / 3:15 p.m. GMT
Barcelona vs. Levante Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Barcelona: 4 wins
- Levante: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Barcelona (WWWLL) | Levante (WDLLL) |
|---|---|
| Girona 2–1 Barcelona | Levante 0–1 Villarreal |
| Atlético Madrid 4–0 Barcelona | Levante 0–2 Valencia |
| Barcelona 3–0 Mallorca | Athletic Club 4–2 Levante |
| Albacete 1–2 Barcelona | Levante 0–0 Atlético Madrid |
| Elche 1–3 Barcelona | Levante 3–2 Elche |
How to Watch Barcelona vs. Levante on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, ESPN App, fuboTV |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player, Disney+ Premium |
| Canada | TSN 5, TSN+ |
| Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi |
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona will be boosted by the returns of Pedri and Marcus Rashford, both of whom recently re-joined first-team training after injury spells. While neither is likely to start against Levante, they could be in the matchday squad.
Gavi is also closing in on a return after a lengthy absence, the midfielder once again taking part in elements of group training with his teammates, but he likely won’t feature on the field until March. Andreas Christensen is out of action with a partial ACL tear, too.
Flick has a decision to make regarding his striker against Levante, forced to choose between Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. The German is certain to recall Alejandro Balde to the XI at left back, though.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Levante
Barcelona predicted lineup vs. Levante (4-3-3): García; Koundé, Cubarsí, García, Balde; López, De Jong, Olmo; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Levante Team News
Castro is still without the services of Kervin Arriaga following his late red card in the derby with Valencia. He won’t return until the battle with Girona in March after being handed a three-game ban.
Skipper Pablo Martínez is missing with injury and forward Roger Brugué will also be sidelined for the trip to Camp Nou. Unai Elgezebal, who scored the decisive own goal in the reverse clash, is a major doubt, too.
All eyes will be on young striker Etta Eyong, a known transfer target for Barcelona.
Levante Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona
Levante predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ryan; Toljan, De la Fuente, Moreno, Sánchez; Olasagasti, Raghouber; Tunde, Álvarez, Losada; Eyong.
Barcelona vs. Levante Score Prediction
Barça will not only be expected to end their losing streak but emphatically dispatch of an incredibly leaky defence. With Raphinha back in a star-studded attack, they should put their visitors to the sword on their return to winning ways.
Defensive issues of their own mean Barcelona won’t be confident of a clean sheet, with Levante one of the more prolific sides towards the foot of the table, but any goal will surely be nothing more than a consolation.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona vs. Levante: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
