Barcelona - Levante: barcelona - levante ends 3-0 as Cancelo shines and Barça regains the lead
Barcelona secured a 3-0 win over Levante at the Spotify Camp Nou in the match labelled barcelona - levante, a result that returned the team to the top of LaLiga EA Sports after Real Madrid’s stumble in Pamplona. The victory arrived after back-to-back defeats and offered a boost in confidence while some doubts remained.
Barcelona - Levante: João Cancelo dominates the first half
João Cancelo was the standout figure in the opening 45 minutes. The Portuguese was active on the left, unbalancing the Levante defense with precise, dangerous crosses. From an action initiated by Cancelo and a cross by Eric García, Marc Bernal — the young midfielder deployed as a natural pivot — anticipated in the small area and opened the scoring at four minutes.
Early scares and goalkeeping interventions from Joan García and Ryan
Levante threatened first when Carlos Álvarez received a pass from Iván Romero and was denied by keeper Joan García. Later, still with the scoreboard at 1-0, Joan García produced a key one-on-one stop on Víctor García. At the other end, Ryan rescued Levante from a wider defeat with two notable interventions, one to deny Raphinha and another to deny Fermín.
Frenkie de Jong’s arrival and the second goal before halftime
The second goal came from Cancelo’s influence as well: a floated cross into the heart of the area that Frenkie de Jong met arriving from the second line to make it 2-0 before the break. The 2-0 cushion eased Barcelona’s control of the game and, as the match progressed, the pace fell.
Flick’s reshuffle, Pedri’s return and the bench moves
Hansi Flick adjusted the lineup during the game. Pedri returned to the field after a month-long absence due to injury and received an ovation from the stadium. Flick also brought on Fermín and Ferran to refresh the attack. The coach had presented an uncommon defensive setup for this match: he deployed Eric García back in a central role alongside Gerard Martín, reinstated Robert Lewandowski as center forward, and used Marc Bernal as a midfield organizer. Cancelo occupied the left-back spot in place of Balde. The club had two days of rest before the game and, in the week leading up to it, carried out collective therapy sessions and several training tests aimed at correcting the problems that followed consecutive defeats to Atlético and Girona. Fermín had been left out of earlier combinations because he had not blended well in midfield with Olmo and De Jong.
Fermín López seals the win, standings shift and lingering concerns
Fermín López signed off the scoring in the final stretch with a powerful left-foot shot from outside the area that struck the post before crossing the line for the 3-0 finish. The victory put Barcelona back atop LaLiga EA Sports; Barcelona reached the top by one point following Real Madrid’s defeat in Pamplona. The 3-0 result helps cool immediate doubts and restores some confidence, but the team’s stability remains a question: nervousness was noted in figures such as Lamine, who has struggled to find the net. The match also reinforced a season-long contrast: the most prolific attack faced the most porous defense. Barcelona has won every game it has played at the Camp Nou this season, while Levante remain in the relegation zone and have been unable to break their curse at the Camp Nou.
