Levante vs. Barcelona – Prediction (La Liga – 02.11.2019)

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Levante have only won 7.7% of their matches against Barcelona in LaLiga (W2 D4 L20), their lowest percentage against a single opponent with at least three games played in the top-flight.

Levante suffered their first home defeat of the season in their last outing here, with the 1-0 reverse making it four home matches from five this term to separate the teams by less than 1.5 goals. Their last four home fixtures have each produced under 2.5 goals, and just one saw open-play goals in both halves. Erick Cabaco was sent off in the last league H2H here, but netted one of Levante’s last two LL home goals to come against a consistent top-three side of 2013-2019 (Atl. Madrid / Real Madrid / Barcelona). The hosts enter a home match as outsiders for the first time this campaign. Last season, they returned a paltry league record of W1, D2, L4 as underdogs at home, and lost this fixture 5-0 despite holding Barcelona goalless in the first half-hour.

Levante have been strong after scoring first on home turf this term, returning four points from a possible six after doing so. Home and away, Barcelona’s last ten H2H league wins have seen them keep a first-half clean sheet. Barcelona boast a dominant league record as an away favourite since the start of 2018/19 (W12, D7, L3).

Their Spanish champions’ runaway victory here last season is one of three 21st century La Liga (LL) H2Hs at Levante (out of the last four) to see one side score five, with three of the day’s winning side’s goals coming after the break each time. Barcelona icon Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick here last season, with his first two goals coming within the five minutes either side of the 45-minute mark. Hitting form at the right time, Barcelona have now won their last three competitive away matches. Each time, they have ground out a 1-0 first-half win, before adding to their tally within the first 15 minutes of the second half.

Match Info and Live Scores.