The second day of La Liga was played this weekend at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, the venue for the match between Levante and FC Barcelona . The Catalans had started their season perfectly by winning without trembling in Mallorca (3-0), a match concluded with 11 against 9. Already decisive, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal , all lined up from the start that evening, had opened their goal account. For its part, Levante had started its season badly by losing on the pitch of Alavés (1-2). The Valencians also remained on a long drought against Barça, whom they had not beaten since 2019. That year, however, they had achieved the feat twice: in La Liga (3-1) and in the Copa del Rey (2-1). While Barça started the match slowly and gradually established their game, notably with an incursion from Lamine Yamal in the 4th minute and then a charge from Rashford a few seconds later, it was Levante who surprised the Blaugranas.
Indeed, the home side opened the scoring with a perfectly played counterattack: Sánchez leaned on Morales to rush down the left before passing to Toljan. The latter feinted to set up Romero, and the number 9 eliminated Cubarsí before scoring with a right-footed cross (15th, 1-0). Barcelona then monopolized possession, but came up against Levante's solid defensive block. Yamal tried to break the deadlock with a cross, but Torres arrived too late to take over (19th). Barcelona tried to press on through the middle with Rashford and Torres, but their combinations remained sterile (29th). A few minutes later, Torres hit the crossbar after a shot that was too powerful (37th). Just before the break, Levante came close to breaking the deadlock: from a Martínez free kick, Dela saw his diving header go just wide of Joan Garcia's post (43rd).
Levante doubles the lead, Barça reacts
Shortly before the break, however, the home side were awarded a penalty, as Baldé's left arm appeared to be slightly off the ground. Morales then stepped forward and opened his right foot to beat a motionless Joan Garcia, making it 2-0 just before halftime. In a delicate situation, Barça had to react, and they did so immediately after the restart. Pedri revived the match by taking advantage of a corner taken back on the right side: the Catalan midfielder tried his luck from distance and, with a powerful right-footed shot, beat Cunat (50th, 2-1) . Two minutes later, Lamine Yamal won another corner on the right side, and Ferran Torres, well served behind his defender, finished with his right foot under the bar to equalize (52nd, 2-2). The rest of the game was more open. Ferran Torres was again on the receiving end of a good cross from the left, but his header was not powerful enough and the Levante goalkeeper saved it in two stages (70th).
The end of the match was then very intense. Lamine Yamal combined with Olmo, but completely missed his shot as he fell, the ball rising to the left side. The corner was awarded to the Catalans (72nd). Barcelona's attacks continued: Olmo tried his luck again from distance, but his right-footed shot was crushed and Cunat lay down on it. Lamine Yamal then accelerated, changed course, cut back into the middle and followed up with his left, but his shot was blocked for a corner (74th). Neither of them managed to score the liberating goal, however. After a flurry of crosses and dangerous situations on the right, the Spanish second division champions finally gave in. Hampered by Ferran Torres at the near post, Elgezabal headed the ball and chipped Cunat, giving Barcelona the lead in added time (90th + 1, 2-3). In the provisional standings, FC Barcelona thus retains first place.
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