Espanyol vs Levante Prediction: Visitors’ to lead at the break

The Monday night action from La Liga is a bit of a relegation scrap as in-form Levante make the trip to Barcelona to take on an Espanyol side in free-fall. Premier Sports 1 is the TV channel for this one for those in the UK with kick-off set for 8PM.

Our Spanish Football expert previews the action and gives us his top two Espanyol vs Levante Predictions plus all the team news, predicted line-ups and stats...

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Espanyol were 23 points clear of Levante at the beginning of 2026. It was inconceivable that the two clubs might end up fighting each other for safety, but it's starting to look like that may be the case. 

Heading into Monday's clash at the RCDE Stadium, the Catalan club's advantage over their opponents has been cut to just six points. Manolo González's side remain winless since the turn of the year and they'll be firmly in the relegation battle if they lose this match. 

The expectation is that it will take more than 40 points to survive this term, with Espanyol still two shy of that figure. A 1-0 defeat away to Rayo Vallecano last time out saw their winless run stretch to 15 games. 

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what has gone wrong. There was certainly an element of overachievement earlier in the season when they were riding high in the top six. Set-piece goals and a disciplined defence contributed to their initial rise, while winger Pere Milla was enjoying a real hot streak in front of goal. 

They've been much less impressive across the pitch in recent months, keeping just one clean sheet so far in 2026. Espanyol's last three games have all been away, so they do at least have four remaining home fixtures. They'll really need their supporters to put their recent frustrations aside and get behind their team in this crucial six-pointer. 

Levante's season is on a very different trajectory, yet they remain in the relegation zone and in much more immediate danger. 

Luís Castro has worked wonders since taking charge at the end of 2025. The Valencian club hadn't even won a single home match at that point, but they've registered five victories at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia under the Portuguese coach. That includes back-to-back wins over Getafe and Sevilla heading into this encounter. 

Finding a player who can finish is so important for teams struggling at the bottom of any league. 20-year-old Carlos Espí has emerged from almost nowhere to be Levante's chief goal threat. The young striker didn't make his first start of the season until February, but he has netted seven goals in his last seven appearances to breathe life into his club's fight for survival. 

Iván Romero has also found a bit of form again. The 25-year-old impressed early on in the campaign, but went 17 matches without a goal across the middle section of the season. He bagged a brace in a deserved 2-0 win against Sevilla last time out in what was one of the biggest matches of the campaign to date at the bottom. 

Levante suddenly have hope, when in truth there was very little only a few weeks ago. One note of caution for followers of the Granotes is that four of their final six games are away. They've not won on the road since a 3-0 victory at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Castro's first match back in early January. 

*You can check out all of our Football Odds over on betfred.com

Team News: 

While long-serving Javi Puado is a notable injury absentee, Espanyol's decline in the second half of the season has not been the result of selection issues. Manolo has rarely had more than two or three players missing, but his regulars have struggled to deliver at their previous levels. 

The Espanyol boss should have a full squad to pick from, aside from Puado, on Monday night. Cyril Ngonge and Ramon Terrats are among the players he could turn to for fresh legs, following defeat in Madrid on Thursday. 

Levante have one major absentee. As well as his two goals, Romero also picked up a fifth booking of the campaign against Sevilla and will miss this match as a result. With Kareem Tunde injured, Castro will need to make changes on both flanks at the RCDE Stadium. 

Roger Brugué and Unai Elgezabal are also still sidelined due to injuries for the visitors, although they've coped well without both players in recent weeks. 

Match Odds: 

Despite their miserable form, Espanyol are the 11/10 favourites to win this match. You can back the Draw at 5/2, while Levante are on offer at 5/2. 

If you're expecting goals, Both teams to score is priced at 4/5. You can also back Espanyol to score over 1.5 goals at 11/10, while the hosts are on offer at 11/5 to win a match with over 2.5 goals. 

Levante are given a 6/5 chance of winning either half, while you can back the Granotes to claim a third straight victory to nil at odds of 5/1. 

Kike García and Roberto Fernández have spent most of the season battling for one place up top for Espanyol, although they are sometimes used together. You can back Kike to score anytime at 8/5 here, while Roberto is on offer at 7/4 in the same market. 

From a visiting perspective, Espí is very much the man of the moment. The in-form striker is priced at 15/8 to have two or more shots on target, while he's given a 6/5 chance of having four or more attempts. 

*You can place a bet on this match and check out all of our Espanyol vs Levante Odds over on betfred.com

Bet 1 - Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5 

With the exception of Espí, it's hard to see where the goals are going to come from in this game. Levante are missing their two regulars in the wide attacking roles, while early-season sensation Karl Etta Eyong hasn't added to his six-goal haul in La Liga since October. 

Espanyol are looking short on quality in the final third, with only one goal in their previous three outings. Kike, Milla and Roberto are their joint top scorers with six goals apiece. However, they've contributed just five goals between them in 15 matches so far in 2026. 

With Levante's defence looking more organised since the change in coach, this could be a tight affair. I'm backing Under 2.5 goals at 4/5. 

Bet 2 - Half-time Result - Levante @ 3/1

The momentum is certainly with the visitors heading into this clash. They played well in their previous two matches, and there's now real belief that they can pull off what would be one of the greatest escape acts in La Liga history. 

Levante have tended to start brightly on their travels this season. Despite their lowly position, they've been 1-0 up at the interval in 40% of their road games. They have often faded in the second half, and a repeat is possible here given their opponents will have more quality to bring off the bench. 

With Espanyol having been behind at the break in 40% of their home fixtures, there's additional reason to think Castro's side can at least seize the early initiative. I can see value in backing the visitors in the Half-time Result market at 3/1. 

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...

2 Up Early Payout

Pre-Match Football bets on the 2 Up Early Payout market in selected games. Paid as a winner within 5 minutes if your team goes 2 goals ahead. Selected leagues only. 90 mins only. T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.