Barcelona travel to the Ciutat de València on 13 September 2026 for a La Liga Matchday 5 fixture that looks, on paper, almost comically one sided. Levante are a newly promoted side sitting 11th with five points from four games, whereas Barcelona arrive with maximum points, 17 goals scored and just two conceded, fresh off a 5-1 Champions League demolition of Feyenoord three days earlier. Luís Castro's side face a brutal early test of whether their defensive organisation can withstand what Barcelona are about to throw at them.
Castro and Flick have never met competitively, with Castro having taken charge on 20 December 2025, replacing the interim pairing of Álvaro del Moral and Vicente Iborra, while Flick has been at Barcelona since the summer of 2024, having replaced Xavi Hernández and extended his contract in May 2026 through to June 2028.
Barcelona have won all four of their league games, including a 5-0 thrashing of Valencia and the 5-1 midweek win over Feyenoord only reinforced the sense that this squad is operating at a different level. Levante are harder to read: one win, one defeat and two draws, the most recent a goalless away result at Málaga on 6 September that followed a 5-2 home win over Real Betis earlier in the month. They can clearly score, though sustaining that against a back line as organised as Barcelona's is a different problem altogether.
Levante are without goalkeeper Álex Primo, sidelined with a shoulder injury and forward Karl Etta Eyong, also ruled out through injury, leaving Mathew Ryan to start in goal and Roger Brugué and Iván Romero as the likely starters in attack. Barcelona travel without Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji, both ruled out with knee problems. Losing de Jong hurts in terms of midfield control and Bardghji would have offered wide options but Flick's squad is deep enough that neither absence meaningfully changes the picture.
Castro has used a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 depending on the opponent, with Aïssa Mandi anchoring the backline and Brugué and Romero as the main outlets. The 0-0 at Málaga showed they can be disciplined and stubborn, sitting in a low block for long stretches but whether that discipline survives 90 minutes of Barcelona pressing and positional rotation at this level is a genuine question. Flick's side operates in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and Raphinha is currently leading the league in goals, targeting the space behind Levante's right sided defenders, while Yamal is in the kind of form where things simply happen around him. If Levante press high, Barcelona's one touch combinations through the lines should create overloads quickly, if they sit deep, Flick will rotate possession patiently and let Yamal or Raphinha isolate defenders wide.
Barcelona have won eight of the recent meetings with Levante, who have managed just one win, their last success coming several years ago. Castro will know his only realistic route through this runs via structure and set piece organisation rather than individual quality.
Set pieces are one of Levante's main routes to goal, with Brugué typically attacking deliveries and it is the one area where they carry a genuine threat at this level. Barcelona have conceded just two league goals all season, so the margin for error is tight. The midweek European fixture raises the question of rotation but Flick's squad has enough quality throughout to sustain the pressure. Levante have shown they can limit chances in their more defensive performances this season, though keeping that up for a full 90 minutes against a side that moves the ball this quickly will be a genuine test of their organisation.
Predicted score: Barcelona win 0-3. Yamal and Raphinha should create the decisive openings, with Barcelona likely scoring before half time and adding two more after the break as Levante tire. Losing Primo weakens Levante's ability to play out under pressure and without Etta Eyong there is less pace to threaten in behind. Castro's side may still trouble Barcelona from set pieces, with Brugué's delivery from wide areas their sharpest tool but the 5-1 win over Feyenoord and the defensive record across the opening four league games tell the same story: Barcelona are the best side in Spain right now and Levante are catching them at the wrong moment.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
