Levante vs Getafe on Monday night isn’t just another La Liga fixture on the calendar—it’s the kind of game where both sides feel the pressure in different ways. Getafe, still chasing momentum, arrive hoping to turn form into points, while Levante… well, they need results, period.
Getafe will be aiming to make it three La Liga wins in a row when they continue their campaign with a clash against Levante on Monday night. The visitors are eighth in the La Liga table, three points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo, while Levante are 19th, five points behind 17th-placed Sevilla in the battle to stay in the division. Match previews are nice, but you can practically feel the urgency in the numbers.
Levante’s season has been a grind: they have a record of six wins, eight draws and 16 defeats from their 30 La Liga matches this season, with 26 points leaving them in 19th spot—five points behind 17th-placed Sevilla. The Frogs, who are the reigning Segunda Division champions, recorded a 4-2 victory over Real Oviedo in their last match in front of their own supporters on March 21. However, Luis Castro’s side will enter the game off the back of a 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad, and they are firmly locked in a relegation fight heading towards the final straight.
And it’s not just about where they sit. Levante have the worst home record in Spain’s top flight this season, only picking up 14 points from 15 matches. Getafe, though, have a very different profile on the road—the visitors actually have the fifth-best record on their travels. In the head-to-head history, the Frogs have won 14 and lost 12 of their previous 42 matches against Getafe in all competitions, while the spoils have been shared on 16 occasions. Still, Getafe have only actually won one of their last four matches against Levante, and it was 1-1 when the two teams locked horns in the reverse game earlier this season.
Getafe’s recent run is the part that stands out. The visitors will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, and an impressive run of form has seen them win four of their last five league fixtures. Going further back, Getafe have won six of their last eight league games, which has moved them up into eighth spot in the table, three points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo. The Deep Blue Ones have only scored 27 times in the league this season, which is one of the poorest attacking records in the division, but they have been excellent from a defensive point of view. Jose Bordalas’ side have conceded just 31 goals, which is the third-best defensive record this term, with only Real Madrid and Barcelona (both 29) letting in fewer. There’s a whiff of chalk-in-your-hands discipline here—like they’re always one step away from control.
Team news is set to be a key piece of this puzzle. Levante will be without the services of Roger Brugue through injury, while Unai Elgezabal faces a late fitness test, but Matias Moreno has been cleared to feature. Carlos Espi has scored nine times in 19 appearances this season, and there will be another spot in the final third of the field for the 20-year-old. Ivan Romero is set to operate in a deeper area, while there is set to be a spot in a wide position for Victor Garcia, who is in line to make his 19th appearance of the season.
Getafe, meanwhile, will be missing Juanmi and Borja Mayoral through injury. There will also be no Mauro Arambarri for the capital outfit, as the midfielder is suspended after picking up a milestone booking in the team’s clash with Athletic last time out. Abdel Abqar, Kiko Femenia and Allan Nyom all missed the game against Athletic through suspensions, but the trio will be back in the squad on Monday night. Levante possible starting lineup: Ryan; Toljan, Matturro, De la Fuente, Sanchez; Martinez, Rey; Garcia, Romero, Tunde; Espi. Getafe possible starting lineup: Soria; Abqar, Duarte, Romero; Femenia, Milla, Dakonam, Iglesias; Liso; Satriano, Vazquez.
So what’s the forecast? We say: Levante 1-2 Getafe. Getafe are flying at the moment, and we are backing the visitors to navigate their way to all three points on Monday night, which would further boost their European hopes. Actually, it wouldn’t be shocking if Levante drag it into a messy ending—just feels like the kind of night where one moment decides everything, and then you’re left watching the clock chew up the final minutes.
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