Squad news: one absence, two returns
Levante’s injury picture is mostly encouraging going into the trip to Real Sociedad. According to [1], Dela is still out with muscle discomfort, so he will not be part of the squad. That is the only confirmed absence in the information available.
The same report says Hugo Sotelo has recovered from a muscle injury and is available. His return adds another option for the coaching staff at a point when the schedule is crowded, with matches arriving every few days. Etta Eyong has also come back from injury and has already scored since his return, which is the best kind of news for a forward: fitness and a goal in the same stretch.
Taken together, Levante are not travelling with a depleted group. They lose one player and regain two, one of whom has shown he is sharp in front of goal. How the staff use Sotelo and Etta Eyong, whether from the start or from the bench, is one of the open questions before kick-off.
Form: a win over Athletic and a run of goals
Marca describes Levante as being in a good dynamic, coming off a win against Athletic Club, and the results back that up. On 21 October they beat Athletic 3-1 at home. Before that came a 1-1 draw away at Deportivo La Coruña on 16 October and a 3-3 draw at home to Sevilla on 12 October.
That is a run of three games without defeat, and Levante have scored in every one of them: seven goals in three matches. The earlier results were harder: a 3-1 loss at Villarreal on 20 September and a 4-2 home defeat by Barcelona on 13 September. In those five games Levante scored at least once every time, but they also conceded at least once every time, and the recent draws were not clean-sheet efforts either.
The [1] preview notes that both sides have been involved in high-scoring matches lately, and that fits. Levante are willing to trade goals, which makes them dangerous but leaves them exposed against an in-form opponent.
The opponent: Real Sociedad chasing a fourth win
Real Sociedad are the side with momentum in the other direction. The same preview says they are seeking a fourth consecutive league victory to consolidate their European position, while Levante are aiming for a second straight win.
On the home side’s coach, [2] reports that Pellegrino Matarazzo is optimistic about his team’s form and wants to extend the run. He also acknowledges the match against Levante will be complicated, citing their recent victory and good dynamic. That is a measured assessment rather than a dismissal.
Squad news also favours the hosts. Jon Aramburu and Yangel Herrera are back in training and available, according to [3]. Matarazzo is expected to rotate less than in previous games, with Remiro, Fort and Barrenetxea possibly returning to the starting lineup. A more settled Real Sociedad eleven, with key players back, is the main thing Levante will have to deal with.
What it means
Levante sit 14th in La Liga with 10 points from 9 games: two wins, four draws and three defeats, with 15 goals scored and 17 conceded. That is a mid-to-lower table position, only a few points clear of trouble, so each result still carries weight.
The form line says Levante are scoring freely (15 goals in nine games is a healthy return) but not keeping them out. A 3-1 win over Athletic and two draws in which they scored a combined four times show a team that can produce, though the 17 goals against explain why the record has so many draws and defeats.
The next fixture, Real Sociedad against Levante on 25 October, asks whether Levante can add defensive discipline to that attacking output away from home. The site’s forecast leans toward the hosts: Real Sociedad to win at 60.0%, a draw at 25.0% and a Levante win at 15.0%, with a predicted score of 2-1. That scoreline would still have Levante scoring, in line with their recent pattern, but not enough to take points. A second consecutive win would be a real step up from the current position; the draws of recent weeks suggest a point is a more realistic target.
Sources
- Marca: Real Sociedad - Levante | Que el ritmo no pare: previa, análisis, pronóstico y predicción marca.com ↩
- Marca: Matarazzo: "Estamos en buen momento y queremos alargarlo, pero el Levante será complicado" marca.com ↩
- Marca: Aramburu y Herrera vuelven a la lista para recibir al Levante, veremos si también al once marca.com ↩
