At the Ciutat de València stadium, Levante made life difficult for Barcelona in their bid to claim a second consecutive league win. The hosts played a defensive but effective game, staying ahead for much of the first half. With a compact setup, five defenders plus four midfielders who dropped deep, the Granotas managed to score twice before halftime.
The opening period was marked by the muted impact of Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford. Levante’s disciplined defense denied them their usual game of exploiting space, cutting inside, and finishing. Raphinha struggled in the number 10 role, Rashford only combined a couple of times with Balde on the left, and Lamine’s trademark cutbacks failed to find the net.
Levante capitalized on their strategy, scoring two goals from counterattacks. The second came via a controversial penalty given against Alejandro Balde for a handball. At the break, the hosts led 2–0 thanks to Romero (15’) and Morales (45+7’) goals. Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsí looked shaky throughout the first half.
But Levante entered the second half with the most dangerous scoreline in football: a 2–0 lead. Just four minutes after the restart, Pedri’s brilliance produced a superb strike to put Barça back in the game. Six minutes later, Ferran Torres equalized from a corner delivered by Raphinha, leveling the score at 2–2.
From then on, Barcelona exercised patience. Levante tried to repeat their successful first-half approach but without success. Pedri took control of the midfield, linking effectively with Gavi, who replaced Casado at halftime, and keeping the ball moving toward Barça’s four forwards.
As the game drew to a close and Levante seemed ready to settle for a point, Lamine Yamal finally made the difference. His cross wasn’t met by a Barça player, but Unai Elguezabal turned the ball into his own net, completing the comeback.
In the end, Barcelona secured a hard-fought 3–2 victory, earning three valuable points and sending a message to the rest of the league: even when their play is unclear, they will fight until the last ball. The season is still young, but in a much stronger performance than their match in Mallorca, Barça proved they are ready to compete.