Barcelona Vs Levante: Cancelo MVP as Barça Reclaims LaLiga Lead with 3-0 Win
barcelona vs levante finished 3-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou as FC Barcelona eased back to the top of LaLiga. The result matters because it halted a run of two defeats, restored the club to first place and reinforced a long scoring streak that continues to grow.
Barcelona Vs Levante at Spotify Camp Nou
Hansi Flick’s side struck early and never looked back. Marc Bernal put Barcelona ahead four minutes into the match from a cross that originated with Eric García, and Frenkie de Jong and Fermín completed the 3-0 scoreline. The win reclaimed the LaLiga lead for Barcelona, a change made possible in part by Real Madrid’s defeat in Pamplona the same day.
Joao Cancelo’s performance and comments
Joao Cancelo, 31, was named MVP after a standout outing on the left flank despite being right-footed. He helped create Bernal’s opener and delivered the pass that set up De Jong’s goal. Cancelo described it as his best match since returning to the club on loan in the winter window, saying he had trained well, felt the coach would trust him and that when preparation goes right "things simply flow" on the pitch. He defined himself as "a full-back with attacking instincts" but stressed the team result above personal praise, noting that "the important thing is the victory" and that football offers second chances after two poor results.
Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong impacts
Bernal’s early strike changed the game’s complexion almost immediately; four minutes after kickoff he converted following Eric García’s involvement. De Jong made it 2-0 just before half an hour, arriving from deep to finish a measured cross from the increasingly influential Cancelo. Those two goals left Barcelona with a 2-0 lead at the break and a clear foothold in the match.
Fermín, substitutions and key moments
Fermín, introduced after the hour alongside Pedri and Ferran, sealed the victory with a left-footed effort from outside the area to make it 3-0. The Levante goalkeeper Ryan produced a couple of important saves earlier — one to deny Raphinha and another to repel a header — but could not prevent Fermín’s long-range strike. The match featured a lightning-quick moment at 18 seconds when Carlos Álvarez was presented with a solo chance against Joan García, forced by pressure from Eric García, and a near miss from Lamine Yamal before halftime. Koundé and Lewandowski also had openings in the opening stages, and Cancelo struck the post with a curled delivery to a beaten Ryan.
LaLiga context, streaks and consequences
Barcelona extended a remarkable LaLiga scoring run: the team has found the net in 45 consecutive league matches, its best stretch since a 64-game run that lasted from February 4, 2012, to October 5, 2013. The club now sits atop the table after recovering from consecutive defeats — an outcome that eases pressure following losses to Atlético in the Copa and to Girona in the league. The wider statistical backdrop is striking: historically, teams on 61 points after 25 matches have gone on to win the title in 18 of 22 instances, and Barcelona had prevailed in each of its eight previous cases with that points haul.
Levante’s struggles and reactions
Levante came away empty-handed and deeper in trouble: it was their fourth consecutive defeat. The visitors squandered two clear early opportunities and were unable to convert promising phases into goals; Joan García produced a key one-on-one stop to Olasagasti but overall the team could not overturn the early deficit. After the match a speaker of internal reflection said the side had conducted self-criticism and that the performance offered a template to follow, while other postgame remarks in the dressing-room mix included a player saying he had seen the gap that led to his goal and another noting that as a child he had been small and had worked on his shooting in Linares — unclear in the provided context who made each comment.
The match report was filed by Santi Giménez. Club president Joan Laporta also weighed in publicly, criticizing Real Madrid’s reaction to the events in Pamplona with a barbed comment about a simulation he considered unappreciated. What makes this notable is the timing: reclaiming the lead within four minutes and benefitting from Madrid’s slip tightened Barcelona’s grip on the title race while also offering a confident response to recent setbacks.
