Levante and Villarreal are set to clash at the Ciutat de València on a regional showdown that was postponed last December due to heavy rains. This match is crucial for both teams as they aim to secure three precious points to stay in the battle for their respective goals. Levante is reeling from their recent defeat in the Valencia derby, sitting second to last in LaLiga EA Sports and facing the possibility of narrowing the gap to just four points from the relegation zone if they manage to defeat Villarreal in this rescheduled fixture.
Coach Luís Castro of Levante faces some roster challenges with injured players like Brugué and Pablo Martínez, who suffered a left knee ligament sprain in the Valencia match, and Arriaga, who is awaiting official confirmation of his suspension after being sent off for applauding the referee Ortiz Arias. Additionally, French midfielder Ugo Raghouber is a doubtful starter due to limited practice time.
On the positive side, Castro welcomes back Toljan and Matturro, both returning from suspensions, infusing potential changes into the starting lineup. Cameroonian forward Etta Eyong could make a return to the first team, with Castro confirming his readiness to play, albeit with the added condition that Levante must pay Villarreal €100,000 as stipulated in their transfer agreement from last summer.
Meanwhile, the Villarreal side under Marcelino García Toral enters the match with the objective of regaining points to widen the gap over their pursuers and break their recent slump, having secured only one victory in their last six league games. The team has struggled in their away fixtures, failing to win in their last three outings.
Missing key players like Gerard Moreno and facing doubts over Dani Parejo's availability due to muscular discomfort, Villarreal hopes to count on the return of Sergi Cardona and Alberto Moleiro, who were benched in their last game against Getafe due to a viral ailment.
The probable lineups for the match are as follows:
Levante: Ryan, Toljan, Dela, Matturro, Manu Sánchez, Vencedor, Olasagasti, Paco Cortés, Carlos Álvarez, Tunde or Iván Romero, and Etta.
Villarreal CF: Luiz Júnior; Mouriño, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, Pedraza; Comesaña, Pape Gueye, Buchanan, Moleiro; Nicolas Pepe, and Mikautadze.
With the referee yet to be designated, the venue set at Ciutat de València and kick-off scheduled for 20:00 hours, this match promises to be a high-stakes encounter between two teams desperate for points in their LaLiga campaign.
