Match Information
Match Overview
Villarreal host Levante at Estadio de la Cerámica on September 20, 2026, in a Regular Season - 7 fixture that pits two sides sitting close together in the table, with Villarreal in 14th and Levante just below in 15th. For both clubs, this represents an early opportunity to arrest concerning form and gain separation from the lower reaches of La Liga.
Recent form is the dominant storyline here. Villarreal, under Iñigo Pérez, arrive off the back of a 3-1 away win at Malaga on September 17, but that result comes sandwiched between a run of four defeats in five games across all competitions, including a 1-2 home loss to Real Betis on September 14, a 2-3 home defeat to Deportivo La Coruna on September 5, a 1-0 away loss at Alaves on August 28, and a 3-2 Champions League defeat away to Borussia Dortmund on September 8. The Malaga win offers a potential turning point, but the underlying pattern shows defensive vulnerability, having conceded in every one of their last five outings.
Levante, managed by Luís Castro, present a more mixed picture. Their September 13 home match saw a 2-4 loss to Barcelona, though it followed a positive stretch that included a 5-2 home win over Real Betis on August 29 and draws against Malaga (0-0, away, September 6) and Osasuna (0-0, away, August 24). Their most recent fixture, a September 16 home game against Athletic Club, has no confirmed result in the available data.
Head-to-head history favors Villarreal, who have won each of the last three meetings between these sides, most recently a 1-0 win on August 5, 2026. With no injury absences reported for either squad, both managers should have full selection options, placing the emphasis squarely on form and execution rather than squad availability. Given both teams' inconsistent defensive records this season, goals could be a feature at both ends.
Predicted Lineups
Villarreal
P. Gulácsi; A. Freeman, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Sergi Cardona; Ilias Akhomach, N. Saliba, Santi Comesaña, T. Buchanan; Alberto Moleiro, Ayoze Pérez
Levante
M. Ryan; Nacho Pérez, Dela, IfeanyiIfeanyi Ndukwe, Manu Sánchez; Jon Ander Olasagasti, Oriol Rey, E. Bardeli; Paco Cortés, Iván Romero, T. Fernández
Team Form Analysis
Villarreal
League Position: 14Villarreal Form Analysis
Villarreal's recent form paints a picture of a team searching for consistency. Across their last five matches in all competitions, Iñigo Pérez's side have collected just one win, against four defeats, though that solitary victory was an emphatic 3-1 success away at Malaga on September 17. The defensive record is the primary concern: Villarreal have conceded in every one of their last five fixtures, shipping multiple goals in three of them, including a 3-2 home defeat to Deportivo La Coruna and a 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Going forward, the team has shown they can score goals, netting at least once in every recent outing and finding the net three times against both Malaga and Dortmund. The quality of opposition has varied, ranging from a European away trip to Dortmund to domestic tests against Real Betis and Deportivo La Coruna, but the pattern of leaking goals against sides at multiple levels suggests defensive solidity, not attacking output, is where Villarreal need the most improvement heading into this fixture.
Levante
League Position: 15Levante Form Analysis
Levante's form under Luís Castro shows a team capable of both moments of brilliance and defensive fragility. Their standout result came on August 29 with a 5-2 home victory over Real Betis, demonstrating significant attacking firepower. However, that high point was followed by contrasting results: goalless draws away at Osasuna and Malaga suggest a more cautious, points-gathering approach against certain opposition, while the September 13 home clash with Barcelona ended in a 2-4 defeat, conceding four goals to one of the league's strongest sides. Their most recent match, at home to Athletic Club on September 16, does not have a confirmed result available. Taken together, the form line shows Levante can trouble the division's better teams offensively but remain susceptible defensively when facing top-half opposition, having conceded four goals in a single match as recently as September 13. Their two clean sheets in the sampled matches, both draws, indicate defensive resilience is more evident against mid-table sides than the league's leading clubs.
Head-to-Head
Villarreal
Levante
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | Villarreal | 1 - 0 | Levante |
| 2026-05-02 | Villarreal | 5 - 1 | Levante |
| 2026-02-18 | Levante | 0 - 1 | Villarreal |
| 2023-08-19 | Villarreal | None - None | Levante |
| 2022-08-03 | Villarreal | 3 - 1 | Levante |
| 2022-04-02 | Levante | 2 - 0 | Villarreal |
| 2022-01-03 | Villarreal | 5 - 0 | Levante |
| 2021-07-29 | Villarreal | 0 - 0 | Levante |
| 2021-04-18 | Levante | 1 - 5 | Villarreal |
| 2021-02-03 | Levante | 1 - 0 AET | Villarreal |
Memorable Matches
The history between these two sides has produced some lopsided scorelines. On May 2, 2026, Villarreal delivered a commanding 5-1 victory, one of the most emphatic results in the recent series between the clubs. More recently, on August 5, 2026, Villarreal edged Levante 1-0, continuing their dominance in the fixture. Looking further back, a January 3, 2022 meeting also saw Villarreal thrash Levante 5-0, while Levante have had their own moments, including a 2-0 win on April 2, 2022. These matches reflect a fixture that has often swung heavily in Villarreal's favor, with several matches producing four-plus goal margins.
Venue Factor
Estadio de la Cerámica provides Villarreal with a familiar home setting for this Regular Season - 7 encounter. Villarreal's recent home record has been mixed, with a home defeat to Real Betis on September 14 and a home loss to Deportivo La Coruna on September 5 both occurring at this venue within the sampled form data, suggesting the fortress advantage has not been as pronounced this season. For Levante, the trip to Estadio de la Cerámica follows a home-heavy recent sch
Injury Concerns
Villarreal
Levante
