Levante - Alavés: Espí’s late double hands Levante a vital 2-0 win and leaves Alavés under pressure
The levante - alavés fixture on matchday 26 ended 2-0 in favour of Levante at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, a result that tightens the relegation fight and deepens questions around Deportivo Alavés. The decisive moments — a red card for Víctor Parada and a late double from 20-year-old academy striker Carlos Espí — gave Levante fresh hope and pushed Alavés closer to the drop zone.
Estadio Ciudad de Valencia: match facts and standings
The match, played as the opening game of LaLiga matchday 26, finished 2-0 for Levante. Levante sit second-to-last with 21 points, four points behind the last-placed side that would be safe today with one more match played. Deportivo Alavés leave the stadium with 27 points, just three clear of the relegation zone. The victory is described as vital for Levante’s survival hopes and it narrows Alavés’s margin for error.
Carlos Espí: a 20-year-old’s renewal and decisive double
Carlos Espí, a 20-year-old canterano from Tavernes de la Valldigna who renewed his contract this week until 2028, delivered both goals. Espí struck first in the 87th minute and secured the win with a second goal in the 96th minute. His performance justified coach Luís Castro’s decision to start him over Karl Etta Eyong, and the double provided “hope” for the home side after a run of four straight defeats prior to the win.
Víctor Parada: dismissal that changed the balance
The match turned when Alavés’s left back Víctor Parada was sent off for a second yellow card 15 minutes into the second half, leaving the visitors with 10 men. From that point Levante dominated possession and territory; the numerical disadvantage coincided with an increased Levante onslaught that culminated in Espí’s two late strikes. The sending-off has been labelled controversial and proved decisive in the flow and outcome of the contest.
Key players and moments for both sides
Levante began sharply with early chances for Iván Romero and Carlos Álvarez; the latter completed his 100th appearance for the club. Alavés responded with clear opportunities from Ibáñez and Antonio Blanco, and the visitors had a particularly dangerous sequence that goalkeeper Ryan and defender Dela intervened in, with Dela even clearing on the line a shot from Carles Aleñá. Levante’s keeper Aitor Sivera stopped an Iván Romero solo effort in the first half, but could not prevent the late goals after Parada’s dismissal. Ugo Raghouber emerged as an unexpected barrier for Alavés, blocking multiple attempts from Paco Cortés, and Hernández Maeso, the referee, provoked frustration from the crowd with his decisions; the match used VAR official Mario Mel.
Levante - Alavés: substitutions and tactical responses
After the red card for Parada the tactical response from Deportivo Alavés’s coach was immediate, with Facundo Garcés entering for Toni Martínez at the 62nd minute. Levante’s coach made several changes during the second half that proved influential: Carlos Espí replaced Carlos Álvarez at 56', Oriol Rey came on for Ugo Raghouber at 57', Facundo Garcés for Toni Martínez at 62', José Luis Morales for Paco Cortés at 68', Ander Guevara for Carles Aleñá at 71', Karl Etta Eyong for Iván Romero at 78', Iker Losada for Kareem Tunde at 78', Abde Rebbach for Ángel Pérez at 89', and Carlos Protesoni for Antonio Blanco at 90'. Karl Etta Eyong had begun the match on the bench for a third consecutive game before entering late.
Eduardo Coudet and off-field context
Off the pitch, managerial speculation surrounded Alavés’s Eduardo Coudet, nicknamed “Chacho, ” as River has targeted him as a possible successor to Marcelo Gallardo; Gallardo coached his last match for River this past Thursday. Coudet publicly swore "by his children" that nobody from River had contacted him. Any approach for Coudet would require negotiation with Deportivo Alavés, since his contract runs until June 30, the end of the season.
The result compounds Alavés’s uneven recent form — the team had collected only two draws in its last four matches, including this one, and had also been eliminated from the Copa del Rey during that span — while Levante broke a run of four successive defeats. What makes this notable is how a single dismissal reshaped a game that had been balanced in the first half, turning defensive resilience into a late offensive payoff for Levante and leaving Alavés with a narrower cushion above the relegation zone.
Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso officiated the match with Mario Mel as the VAR official. The 2-0 final scoreline reflects both the immediate match events and the broader stakes: a vital three points for Levante and a significant setback for Deportivo Alavés’s survival bid.
