After the 2:3 defeat in the Supercopa de España, Real Madrid will play their first La Liga match under their new head coach, as Álvaro Arbeloa has replaced Xabi Alonso. Fortunately for them, the match will be against one of the league outsiders, Levante, who have picked up points in each of their last three rounds.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are still chasing Barcelona, and they are doing this fairly successfully. After a 0:2 defeat to Celta Vigo, they responded with three wins in a row with a combined score of 9:2. At the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, they are especially strong, having won eight of nine matches there, and their only defeat came precisely against Celta Vigo. Their attack is functioning well: they have scored 41 goals, 18 of them from Kylian Mbappé, and Gonzalo García Torres also produced a hat-trick in the last round against Real Betis (5:1). However, there are still problems in defence: the side have conceded in seven of their last eight matches in all competitions.
Levante
Levante are fighting for survival. Luís Castro’s team have come through a difficult spell but still managed to collect five points from their last three rounds: draws with RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad (both 1:1) and a 3:0 victory over Sevilla. Despite their low position, the Valencian club are capable of putting up a fight, especially away from home: three wins and two draws in ten away matches give grounds for cautious optimism. They also have something to offer in attack, with 21 goals in 18 rounds, 13 of them scored away.
Real Madrid vs Levante Prediction
The head-to-head record favours Real Madrid: three wins in the last five meetings, including a 4:1 win last year. Levante have beaten them only once in recent years and are increasingly forced to focus on defending and give up the initiative. The current quality and squad depth of the hosts make the outcome of this match predictable: they should take all three points in a high-scoring game.
