Important Facts
- Levante is 19th (14 points), five points behind Alavés and only one ahead of Oviedo; a home win would provide immediate relief in the relegation battle.
- Elche travels in eighth place (24 points), level on points with Real Sociedad and eight behind Celta Vigo; after many draws recently, every step towards the top half counts.
- Levante has had a tough start: In the last five games, there have been fewer than 1.5 goals at halftime and Levante has never scored before the break, which puts pressure on Ryan.
- Elche showed offensive rhythm in the 2-2 draw against Sevilla with early goals from Febas and Valera, but remained too passive after going up 2-0 and allowed 25 shots.
- Both teams need to reshuffle: Levante are without winger Brugué and defender Elgezabal, while Elche are missing Bigas, Fort, and Rafa Mir, which affects their width, stability, and options.
- Despite Levante’s odds of 2.4, 100% under 1.5 halves in Levante’s last five games and Elche’s strong starts suggest value in a draw (3.3) or Elche.
When a La Liga newcomer faces a direct neighbor, it rarely feels like a normal league game – for Levante, this evening at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia has a palpable sense of survival at stake. On Friday, January 23, 2026, Levante, under Luís Castro, will host Eder Sarabia’s Elche on matchday 21 of the regular season, and precisely because both teams are still finding their identity in the top flight after promotion, such a duel can quickly tip either way. The table sets the tone: Levante is in 19th place with 14 points, five behind Alavés and only one ahead of Oviedo; even with a game against Villarreal still to come, a home win would count immediately. Elche is eighth with 24 points, level on points with Real Sociedad and eight behind Celta Vigo, and wants to keep up the pressure on the top half of the table. The latest results also show that it feels close overall: Levante is coming off a 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid, Elche took home two points from a 2-2 draw with Sevilla thanks to goals from Febas and Valera, but did not look completely in control throughout the game. In a direct comparison, the last match was clear: Elche won 2-0 in August, and these duels often start cautiously – low-scoring first halves are a recurring pattern. Added to this are the absences: Levante are missing Elgezabal and Brugué, Elche are missing Bigas, Fort and Mir, and in January there is also talk of Koyalipou and the arrival of Abed.
- Venue: Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, Valencia
- Date and time: January 23, 2026, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 21)
Although the betting market sees Levante as slight favorites at 2.4, their weak starts, no goals in the first half in five games, and the absences of Brugué and Elgezabal suggest that the draw at 3.3 or Elche are the better value bets. Elche’s early determination and the scoring rhythm shown by Febas and Valera in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla support an advantage for the visitors in the first half, while Levante’s pressure at home suggests that “Both teams to score: Yes” remains a plausible line.
Levante Form & Record Check
Levante enters matchday 21 in 19th place with 14 points and continues to search for a run that will pull them out of the relegation zone. The math is relentless, five points behind Alaves above them, only one behind Oviedo below them, so every home game feels more like a midterm exam than a stage. The postponed Villarreal game in February could be a lifeline or an additional burden. The results have been mixed recently, but not hopeless: the 3-0 defeat at Sevilla stood out, followed by two 1-1 draws against Real Sociedad and Espanyol that brought more control, but the 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid also showed how quickly things can crumble when Levante has to chase the game. The Copa del Rey exit at Cultural Leonesa, 1-0, was simply below par. What is striking is the slow start, with the last five games all remaining below 1.5 goals at halftime, and most ending below 2.5 overall, so the margins are minimal. They have conceded goals in four of those five games, which keeps the pressure on Ryan and the center backs high.
Without Elgezabal and Brugué, Castro could rely more on Raghouber in midfield, while Morales and Álvarez finally need to convert their chances into goals.
Castro is likely to stick with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ryan in goal and a back four consisting of Toljan, Dela, Matturro, and Sánchez. With Elgezabal still out, this center-back pairing seems like the most obvious solution, with the focus on simple build-up play and a compact line. Vencedor and Martínez are expected to play in the double six, more for balance than pure control. Up front, Álvarez is predicted to be the most important link-up player behind Etta Eyong, with Morales and Tunde providing width and early runs into the box. Brugués’ absence somewhat limits Levante’s options for direct wing play, so Tunde’s role could be important in stretching Elche CF. A small side note: Rey has recently been used sparingly for fitness reasons, but if he gets the green light, he could get some minutes, as could Raghouber.
Elche CF Form & Record Check
Elche is in 8th place in the table with 24 points, but in the league, they have recently tended toward draws and close games, and they have yet to win a game in La Liga in 2026. It’s tight around them, with Real Sociedad level on points, while Celta Vigo are already 8 points away. Away from home, their lack of league wins is slowly becoming an issue that they urgently need to shake off. The 2-2 draw with Sevilla exposed both their potential and their soft spot: Febas scored early and Valera made it 2-0, but Elche then sat back too far, conceding 25 shots, and a late handball turned two points into one, even though Peña kept them in the game on several occasions. The picture is similar across all competitions, with a 1-2 defeat at Betis in the Copa del Rey, Sarabia sent off late on, and a 1-1 draw in Valencia. The contrast between the 4-0 win against Rayo Vallecano and the 1-3 defeat against Villarreal shows quite clearly where expectations are shifting. When Elche start with conviction and move the ball quickly through midfield, they can overwhelm opponents at the Martínez Valero, but if the pressing is bypassed, the back line is vulnerable in transition moments and the game quickly becomes too open. They haven’t always struck this balance, with Aguado and Febas setting the pace. There is a pattern in their league games: the last five all went over 1.5 goals and four over 2.5, with the score often close at half-time before the game opened up. Elche scored after the break in four of those five games, but also conceded too many late goals. With Bigas and Fort missing, Sarabia has to reshuffle at the back, Mírs’ absence takes away options, and Mendoza rotates.
Sarabia is likely to stick with a compact 5-4-1, designed to keep Elche tight away from home and then switch quickly down the wings. Peña is likely to start after his recent saves, with Valera and Josan scheduled to play on the wings. Chust and Affengruber will secure the center, with Pétrot completing the back three because Bigas is still out. Febas and Aguado will likely remain the central reference points in midfield, with Neto currently ahead of Mendoza in the race for a starting spot. Diangana would carry the ball in transition, while Rodríguez is likely to be the only striker given Rafa Mir’s injury. If Elche needs more presence in the penalty area, Silva seems to be the most obvious alternative from the bench.
Levante – Elche CF Head-to-head & Statistics
Levante has the slight edge in the last five meetings, with three wins, one draw, and one win for Elche, with a goal difference of 8 to 6. The most recent result came in August 2025, when Elche won 2-0 at home, the only game without conceding a goal in this series. Levante’s three wins were spread across 2024 and May 2025, often with little margin for error. From 2024 to May 2025, Levante remained unbeaten in four matches against Elche, winning three times and drawing once, including a 3-2 home win and a 0-1 away win in the 2024 friendly. Elche then ended this streak in August 2025. Interestingly, the two games in Elche in 2025 were evenly split, with Elche winning 2-0 and Levante winning 3-1. Goals were mostly scored: four of the five games had over 1.5 total goals, and in three meetings, both teams scored, in the 3-2 win in 2024, the 1-1 draw in 2024, and the 1-3 win in May 2025. Nevertheless, the margins remain narrow, with two decisions by a single goal and a single draw, so it is possible that game management after the first goal will make the small difference here.
