Levante – Real Betis
After the international break, LaLiga returns with an explosive duel: Levante, currently 19th in the table and still without a point, Levante UD welcomes Real Betis, who are in 8th place with five points. The hosts suffered a bitter 0-2 defeat against Elche, in which they lacked efficiency despite a combative performance. Betis also lost their last game against Athletic Bilbao 1-2, with Bakambu scoring the consolation goal in injury time. Manuel Pellegrini can look back on an impressive personal record against Levante: he has won eleven of their 14 encounters. These direct duels promise goals, with no fewer than four goals scored in each of the last five meetings, most recently Betis winning 4-2 in 2022. For Levante, it will already be a decisive game, with coach Julián Calero having to do without the injured Alan Matturro. At Betis, Sofyan Amrabat trained with the team again for the first time, Diego Llorente is available, only Marc Bartra’s participation remains questionable.
- Venue: Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, Valencia
- Date and time: September 14, 2025, 4:15 p.m.
- Competition: Primera División (Matchday 4)
Levante form & record check
Levante’s return to Primera División has been disastrous so far. With three defeats at the start of the season, the Granotas are bottom of the table without a single point, level on points with Girona. They are only one point behind Mallorca, which gives them some hope. All three league games have been high-scoring, with Levante finding the net in each encounter. The 2-3 home defeat to Barcelona was respectable, but the subsequent defeats at Alavés (1-2) and against Elche (0-2) revealed structural problems, especially defensively. The away game in Elche was symptomatic: after a goalless first half, the defense collapsed immediately after the restart, conceding two goals within six minutes. Despite several substitutions by Calero, the team was unable to find a response. The squad statistics reveal a structural problem: Levante is the smallest team in Europe’s top five leagues, with an average height of 178.9 centimeters, which could be problematic in set pieces. The absence of defensive leader Alan Matturro due to a thigh injury further weakens the vulnerable defense.
Coach Calero is likely to field his tried-and-tested 5-4-1 formation against Real Betis, which has established itself in the season’s games so far. The absence of Alan Matturro weighs heavily on the defense, as the €7 million man remains unavailable due to a thigh injury. Ryan in goal, Toljan, Adrián de la Fuente, Elgezabal, Cabello, and Manu Sánchez are likely to form the back five in the starting lineup. The midfield could consist of Carlos Álvarez, Pablo Martínez, Oriol Rey, and Brugué, while Iván Romero is likely to play as the lone striker. From the bench, veterans such as 38-year-old Morales or players such as Losada and Koyalipou could provide fresh impetus. The defensive formation without Matturro could lose some of its stability, which is why Calero may opt for a compact style of play.
Betis Form & Record Check
Real Betis is going through a period of inconsistency, which is reflected in the uneven distribution of their performances over 90 minutes. With five points from three league games in 8th place, Pellegrini’s team is meeting basic expectations, but the manner in which they are doing so raises questions. The recent defeat to Athletic Bilbao (1-2) revealed a strange pattern: after an own goal by Marc Bartra, Athletic led 2-0, Bakambu only managed to pull one back in the 90th minute after Paredes had scored the winning goal in the 85th minute. This late turnaround fits in with a remarkable statistic: the Andalusians have won four of their last five first halves, but lost four of five second halves. While the team scores consistently and has scored at least one goal in each of its last five games, its physical or mental condition after the break seems to be a problem. They almost never concede goals before the break, which indicates solid tactical preparation. In terms of personnel, things are returning to normal after the international break: Amrabat is back training with the group, and Fornals and Lo Celso are available. The injury situation remains tense: Isco will be out for months, Abde is not yet ready to play after returning to team training, and Marc Bartra is on the verge of missing out due to a minor injury.
Manuel Pellegrini is expected to stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, although three key regulars will be missing. Isco is still out with a broken fibula, Marc Roca is struggling with a foot injury, and Abde Ezzalzouli is also out with an injury. Nelson Deossa could replace Giovani Lo Celso in the team, as the Argentine has had little training time since returning from international duty. Valles is likely to start in goal, while the back four could consist of Bellerín, Natan, Ortiz, and Junior Firpo. Marc Bartra is still doubtful and will only be decided at short notice. Pablo Fornals looks set to play a central role in attack, possibly behind Cucho Hernández. Antony is available, but his playing time remains uncertain as he has not played in an official match since May. Sofyan Amrabat is back training with the group for the first time, but a starting place seems unlikely.
H2H Levante – Betis Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The head-to-head record between Levante and Betis from the last five encounters speaks for itself: Real Betis leads with three wins to two for the hosts, with no draws recorded. However, the last meeting was over three years ago, with Betis winning 4-2 away in February 2022. The Andalusians scored after the break in all five games and remained undefeated in the second 45 minutes. Levante conceded goals after the break in all of their encounters, but at least managed to score in four of the five games. The matches were consistently high-scoring: at least three goals were scored in all five games, with four of them seeing more than 3.5 goals. Levante had a better record at home, winning both home games, while Betis won all three away games. One might think that home advantage played a decisive role in this pairing.
The tip for “Both teams to score: Yes” at odds of 1.8 is justified by Betis’ flawless goal statistics this season, while Levante has both scored and conceded in four of its last five games. The bookmakers see Betis as slight favorites with odds of 2.3, but the analysis points to a more balanced game. The absence of Isco significantly weakens Betis’ control of the game, and Marc Bartra’s questionable availability could further destabilize the defense. Levante showed some promising offensive moments against Barcelona despite the 2-3 defeat. “Over 2.5 goals” at 2.05 looks tempting, as both defenses have shown weaknesses recently. The boldest tip of a Levante win at 3.3 may seem risky, but the Granotes have a slightly better record at home against Betis and the desperation for their first points could unleash additional energy. Pellegrini’s team travels to Valencia without their creative engine and could rotate ahead of upcoming European commitments.
