Barcelona vs Levante La Liga Gameweek 25: Must-Win Moment at Camp Nou as Barça Seek Top Spot
After back-to-back defeats that shook their La Liga title charge, FC Barcelona face a pivotal Sunday afternoon showdown against relegation-threatened Levante at Spotify Camp Nou on February 22, 2026. Kickoff is set for 10:15 a.m. ET, with the game available to U.S. viewers on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. Real Madrid's shock 2-1 loss at Osasuna on Saturday has opened a door Barcelona cannot afford to leave shut — a win today returns Hansi Flick's side to the summit of La Liga.
Barcelona vs Levante: Stakes, Form, and La Liga Table Context
Following a painful defeat to Girona on Monday and a week of noise and negativity, Barcelona return to La Liga action for a home game against struggling Levante. Real Madrid's surprising defeat away to Osasuna on Saturday creates a huge opportunity for Barça to change the entire narrative over 90 minutes — a win will be enough to reclaim top spot in the table.
Barcelona currently sit second in La Liga, with 19 wins from 24 matches, a solitary draw, and just four defeats. Levante, by contrast, are in desperate trouble.
| Club | La Liga Position | Wins (24 games) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 2nd | 19 | Lost last match at Girona 2-1 |
| Levante | 19th | 4 | Lost last 3 in a row; winless in 4 |
| Real Madrid | 1st (before wknd) | — | Shock loss at Osasuna Saturday |
Levante's Relegation Crisis and the Bogey Team Problem
On paper this should be straightforward for Barcelona. Levante are currently in 19th place in the La Liga standings and suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat at the hands of Villarreal last week. The away side have remained winless in their last four matches in all competitions.
But history whispers a warning. Levante are also Barça's bogey team — their first meeting of the season in August saw Levante take a 2-0 lead before halftime and only lost because of a strange own goal in the 91st minute. There is just something about Levante against Barça — a top team simply struggles against a smaller club despite the huge gap in talent.
Levante are expected to play a back five and will happily give Barça the ball, hoping to win it back in dangerous positions so the talented front two of Ivan Romero and Blaugrana transfer target Etta Eyong can cause problems on the counter.
Predicted Lineups: Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski Lead the Charge
Barcelona predicted lineup vs. Levante (4-3-3): García; Koundé, Cubarsí, García, Balde; López, De Jong, Olmo; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Levante predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ryan; Toljan, De la Fuente, Moreno, Sánchez; Olasagasti, Raghouber; Tunde, Álvarez, Losada; Eyong.
Key absences on both sides:
Barcelona will be without Eric García, Andreas Christensen, and Gavi, while Levante are missing Unai Elgezabal and Roger Brugué. Levante skipper Pablo Martínez is also missing with injury.
Barcelona's Home Record vs. Levante's Away Woes
Over their last three home matches, Barcelona have won all three, scoring an average of 3.33 goals while conceding just 0.33, backed by possession numbers averaging 75.33% per match.
Levante's away form tells the opposite story. Away from home, Levante have lost 10 of their last 20 and have been defeated by two or more goals in 40% of their last ten on the road. Throughout their current La Liga campaign, Levante occupy 19th position with only four wins in 24 games and a negative goal difference of 15.
The statistical probability models are heavily aligned. Analysis of all available data suggests the most likely outcome is a Barcelona win with a probability of 81.27%. The most likely scoreline for a Barcelona win is 2-0 with a probability of 11.7%, followed by 1-0 and 3-0.
Hansi Flick's Message: "Good Opportunity to Turn Things Around"
After two defeats in a row, Hansi Flick's side have another opportunity to get back to winning ways in front of their fans. The German manager told his pre-match press conference: "It's a good opportunity to turn the situation around."
Barcelona are averaging 2.67 goals scored and conceding 1.04 per game this season. Levante, by contrast, are netting 1.08 goals per match but conceding 1.71. Lamine Yamal — La Liga's top scorer and Barcelona's most electric attacker — enters the match having found the net in his last two home La Liga appearances. The pressure is on. The talent gap is clear. The bogey team factor is real. Kickoff at Spotify Camp Nou is at 10:15 a.m. ET on ESPN+.
