Barcelona visits Levante looking to keep its scoring streak alive in LaLiga

With 22 goals in five matches, Barcelona isn't letting up on anyone. That's the number haunting Levante ahead of hosting the LaLiga leader this Sunday at the Estadio Ciutat de Valencia. And if one thing has become clear early in the 2026-27 season, it's that Hansi Flick hasn't eased off the attacking gas one bit after winning the title.

Barca sits atop the table, though with a caveat: they have a game in hand and share 12 points with Real Madrid at the top. Two points back are Alaves and Sevilla, third and fourth respectively, in a league start that still has several teams bunched tightly together.

For Levante, the challenge is twofold. First, find a way to slow down an attack that hasn't stopped piling up goals match after match. Second, make the most of home advantage to grab something that the middle of the table hasn't exactly handed out generously so far. Inconsistency has been the hallmark of these opening matches for the Granota side: a resounding 5-2 win over Betis one week, and a scoreless draw away at Malaga the next. That's exactly the kind of up-and-down form they'll need to fix if they want to turn their stadium into a real fortress.

Barcelona, meanwhile, arrives with the confidence of a team that hasn't dropped the ball on any front. Midweek, they thrashed Feyenoord in the Champions League, and in their most recent league outing they did the same to Valencia. The sense is that any opponent they face runs the risk of getting run over, and the history between these two clubs doesn't do much for the home fans' hopes.

A history that weighs heavy

The two sides have met 47 times, and the balance overwhelmingly favors the Blaugrana: 34 wins for Barcelona, just 6 for Levante and 7 draws. The last time the Catalans lost to the Valencian club was back in Matchday 12 of the 2019/2020 season, several seasons ago now. Since then, it's been total domination for Barcelona in head-to-head matchups.

For this match, Flick could go with a starting eleven featuring Joan Garcia in goal, the pairing of Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsi at center back, and up top the constant threat of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Anthony Gordon alongside Fermin Lopez and Pedri driving the play.

On the home side, Levante would likely line up with Ryan in goal and a back four made up of Nacho Perez, Dela, Mandi and M. Sanchez, looking to close down the gaps against a rival that usually finds space with ease.

The match is set for Sunday, September 13, with kickoff at 8:15 am Mexico City time, 9:15 am in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, and 11:15 am in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Everything points to Barcelona as the clear favorite, though soccer, as any fan well knows, always has a surprise in store for those who least expect it.