Levante - Alavés: Relegation pressure and Coudet whispers put players on the front line

The matchday clash levante - alavés lands at a moment when personnel and points matter more than ever. Survival arithmetic — Levante two places from the bottom, Alavés dangerously close to the drop zone — collides with a coach’s future in the headlines and a single defensive change that could alter immediate fortunes. Players will feel the impact first: selections, confidence and form are the variables that matter on the pitch tonight.

Who feels it first in Levante - Alavés: squad nerves, starting XI and coach attention

Here’s the part that matters: Levante sits penultimate with 18 points and is seven points off the nearest safety mark, while Alavés occupies 14th with 27 points and only a slim margin from the relegation zone. That gap makes this fixture effectively a direct confrontation over survival breathing room rather than a routine midseason match. On top of the table pressure, the Alavés coach is the subject of outside interest that he has publicly denied, and his contract runs until the end of the season. That off-field focus shifts attention from long-term planning to immediate results.

Levante arrive on a four-game losing run, which increases urgency to change momentum. Alavés’ recent sequence has been uneven as well: a 2-2 draw with Girona — fuelled by a two-goal performance from their forward — plus a pair of draws in their last three matches and elimination from the domestic cup. Those mixed signals mean both squads face short-term performance pressure rather than strategic experimentation.

Match details, lineups and the Pacheco factor

Pacheco returns to the Alavés starting eleven as the only change reported for the visitors; he pairs with Nahuel Tenaglia in central defense while Antonio Sivera remains in goal. The coach has kept the double pivot of Antonio Blanco and Pablo Ibáñez, with Ángel Pérez starting on the right and Carles Aleñá on the left. Up front, the tandem of Toni Martínez and Lucas Boyé is unchanged after Boyé’s recent brace helped secure a draw in the last outing.

Levante are set to field a recognizable formation with a blend of young and established players across the spine of the team. The referee for the match has been named for the fixture, confirming standard match administration ahead of kickoff. Both sides are selecting lineups that prioritize immediate balance and defensive stability, reflecting the survival stakes rather than experimental rotations.

• Levante position: penultimate, 18 points; seven points from the safety threshold.
• Alavés position: 14th, 27 points; narrowly above the relegation zone.
• Form snapshot: Levante has lost four straight; Alavés drew recently and exited the domestic cup.
• Alavés personnel: Pacheco returns to the center of defense; Sivera remains in goal; Blanco and Pablo Ibáñez form the double pivot.
• Coaching situation: the Alavés coach is linked with interest from another club but has denied being contacted and remains under contract through the end of the season.

What's easy to miss is how a single defensive adjustment — Pacheco replacing a recent starter — tightens Alavés' immediate tactical profile. That one change reduces rotation options and signals an all-or-nothing intent for the short run.

The real question now is whether these immediate decisions translate into the kind of points haul either side needs. A win for Alavés would widen the gap on the relegation fight; a Levante victory would shorten it dramatically and extend pressure on several teams above them.

• Levante must halt losses to remain in the survival conversation; a defeat would be a significant setback.
• Alavés needs consistency to protect its slim cushion above the relegation zone; the returning center-back is a signal of that priority.
• Signals to watch during the game include defensive cohesion from Alavés, Boyé’s influence in the final third, and whether Levante can convert attacking moments into points.
• If the coach’s off-field situation intensifies, expect selection caution and fewer long-term experiments in subsequent matches.

Micro timeline: Levante has dropped results in its last four outings; Alavés recently earned a 2-2 draw where its striker scored twice; Alavés also exited the cup during this period. These short-term events feed directly into tonight’s tactical choices and the urgency on the touchline and pitch.

The bigger signal here is that both clubs treat this fixture as a survival showdown rather than a low-stakes meeting. Immediate points, lineups that favor experience and a coach handling external attention create a match environment heavy on consequence and light on margin for error.