Levante - Alavés: Carlos Espí’s late double seals 2-0 after Parada red card at Ciudad de Valencia
The levante - alavés fixture ended 2-0 in favor of the home side as 20-year-old Carlos Espí struck twice in the final minutes, a result that tightens the relegation battle and puts pressure on Deportivo Alavés. The win came after the dismissal of Alavés left them reduced to ten men and coincided with renewed conjecture about coach Eduardo Coudet’s situation off the pitch.
Levante - Alavés at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia
The match, played at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia to open matchday No. 26 of LaLiga, finished 2-0 for Levante. The result is described as vital for Levante’s survival hopes and increases the threat of relegation for Deportivo Alavés. Levante sat second-to-last on 21 points, four clear of the bottom-placed side that, with one more match played, would be currently outside the drop zone; Alavés had 27 points, three from the relegation zone.
Carlos Espí: brace, renewal and hometown
Carlos Espí, a 20-year-old academy product from Tavernes de la Valldigna, delivered the decisive moments with a late double. Espí had renewed his contract this week until 2028, and his goals were credited with transforming the mood at Levante into one of hope. Match details list goals at 87' and 96', while match accounts also place the goals late in the second half (one marked at the 43rd minute of the second half and the other in six minutes of added time). What makes this notable is that Espí entered recently and justified manager Luís Castro’s selection of him over Karl Etta Eyong, who did not enter until the 78th minute.
Víctor Parada red card and referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso
Alavés were reduced to ten men when left back Víctor Parada was sent off at 15 minutes of the second half for a second yellow card. The dismissal, described as controversial in some match summaries, altered the flow: Levante grew in dominance and the home side’s pressure produced the late goals. The referee for the game was Francisco José Hernández Maeso, with Mario Mel operating the VAR. The sequence of tactical responses included Coudet replacing Toni Martínez with Facundo Garcés at 62'.
Key moments, saves and defensive intervention
The first half featured a strong Alavés performance that nonetheless found its attempts thwarted by Levante defenders and goalkeeper Rubén Sivera. Levante’s Ryan repeatedly cleared danger and Dela made a goal-line intervention to deny a finish from Carles Aleñá. Early opportunities for the home side came from Iván Romero and Carlos Álvarez, the latter completing his 100th appearance as a granota. Levante hit the post after the interval and generated several promising situations before Espí’s strikes closed the game.
Substitutions, personnel and match officials
Substitution details recorded in the match include: Carlos Espí (56' for Carlos Álvarez), Oriol Rey (57' for Ugo Raghouber), Facundo Garcés (62' for Toni Martínez), José Luis Morales (68' for Paco Cortés), Ander Guevara (71' for Carles Aleñá), Karl Etta Eyong (78' for Iván Romero), Iker Losada (78' for Kareem Tunde), Abde Rebbach (89' for Ángel Pérez) and Carlos Protesoni (90' for Antonio Blanco). The referee team named Francisco José Hernández Maeso as the on-field referee and Mario Mel as VAR.
Eduardo Coudet, contract status and River interest
Off the field, Deportivo Alavés coach Eduardo Coudet has been linked with a move to River as a potential successor to Marcelo Gallardo; Gallardo had directed his last match on the preceding Thursday. Coudet publicly denied being contacted by River, swearing "by his children" that no call had been received. Any club that sought to sign Coudet would have to negotiate with Alavés, because Coudet’s contract runs until 30 June.
The sending-off of Parada led directly to an altered tactical battle: with Alavés down to ten men, Levante increased possession and pressure, creating the opportunities that allowed Espí to score twice late and secure three points that Levante view as crucial. The timing matters because the result came at the start of matchday 26 and immediately reshaped the relegation picture for both clubs.
As the teams head into the next fixtures, Levante will take encouragement from three points that keep mathematical hope alive, while Alavés must confront a defeat that deepens their proximity to the drop and leaves lingering questions about disciplinary control and defensive resilience.
