Barcelona vs Levante Prediction: Back Barca to win with a two-goal handicap

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Barcelona vs Levante Preview:

Barcelona take on Levante this Sunday on the back of what was surely their worst week since the appointment of Hansi Flick in 2024. 

A first-half collapse in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid saw them lose 4-0 at the Estadio Metropolitano. Four days later, they were beaten again, this time by a 2-1 margin against Catalan rivals Girona. 

Flick has won all four domestic trophies on offer to date, while also guiding Barça to the brink of a Champions League final. However, he is not immune from criticism, and there has been plenty of that over the past week, with reports suggesting even his own dressing room is unhappy with the continued use of the high line against strong opponents. 

Atleti registered eight shots on target and created 2.37 xG in the cup match. Girona then bettered those figures with nine shots on target and 2.86 xG on Monday night, with individual errors in both games compounding a sorry state of defensive affairs for the reigning Spanish champions. 

Flick is very unlikely to totally abandon an approach that has largely delivered as he approaches two years in the Barcelona hotseat. The German will believe that with Raphinha available again, and Pedri nearing fitness, they'll soon be able to dominate matches and suppress their opponents to such an extent that a shaky backline is not exposed anywhere near as frequently. 

At home in La Liga, Barça still boast a 100% record, with only five goals conceded. That suggests Flick's methods are working when they play in the league in front of their own fans, although they have only hosted one of the top seven sides so far. 

Levante are unlikely to put a dent in that record. They've also had a dreadful week, losing home derbies against both Valencia and Villarreal without scoring. That has firmly burst the bubble of the recently-appointed Luís Castro, who had made a positive start with eight points from his opening five league matches. 

It's now three defeats on the spin for the Granotes. Their tally of 18 points from 24 games leaves them in deep trouble in a league that saw Leganés relegated despite hitting the magic 40-point mark last term. 

It's tough to see how they beat the drop from this position, but they can take a degree of belief from the knowledge that three of their four wins have come away from home. That includes a 4-0 success at Girona earlier in the season, while they were 3-0 victors at Sevilla at the start of January in Castro's first game. 

However, they are still the team with the worst defensive record in La Liga heading into matchday 25, with an average of 1.71 goals conceded per game. 

Worryingly, the goals have also dried up for their two biggest attacking threats. Top scorer Karl Etta Eyong has gone 12 league appearances without a goal, while Iván Romero is on an even longer drought, with his last strike coming back in September against Getafe. 

Team News: 

There are no fresh selection issues for the hosts following those back-to-back defeats. Gavi and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined with long-term issues, while this game is still likely to come too soon for Pedri, who is closer to a return. 

Marcus Rashford should be fit enough to play some part, following a knee problem that has hampered him over the past fortnight. Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde are strong candidates for recalls, after only making the bench at Montilivi on Monday. 

Levante are missing Kervin Arriaga due to suspension again, following his late red card in last weekend's Valencia derby. Winger Roger Brugué is out long-term, while Pablo Martínez is a significant new absentee in midfield. 

The likes of Etta Eyong and Jon Ander Olasagasti could rotate in, after a rearranged midweek league fixture at home to Villarreal, which ended in a 1-0 defeat.