Barcelona travel to Levante on Sunday seeking a fifth consecutive La Liga victory, having amassed 17 goals across their opening four fixtures. The hosts, managed by Luis Castro, sit fifth in the table with five points from four matches and have publicly vowed to test the league leaders’ attacking prowess.
Castro’s Blueprint to Trouble Barcelona
Speaking ahead of the clash, Castro laid out Levante’s attacking philosophy rather than a purely defensive one. “We have to be in our best version, we play the same league as them and we have to be in a maximum concentration, at the best level and we have to try to hurt them where you can do it,” he told reporters, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. “The match starts zero to zero, eleven against eleven.”
The Levante boss refused to treat Barcelona as unbeatable despite their blistering form, which included a 5–0 demolition of Feyenoord in the Champions League just days earlier. “As all matches we prepare to win, there are no easy matches in LaLiga and Barcelona is one of the best in the world, but we will play to win, to do our best and try to give our fans more joy in our stadium,” Castro added.
Levante’s Defensive Shape Against Flick’s Attack
Castro acknowledged the tactical challenge Barcelona present but stressed concentration over caution. “All rivals have their strengths. With Barça you have to be focused and attentive. If you want to win you have to try to remove the maximum potential of the opponent,” he explained. The Levante manager confirmed he will field a full-strength side, rejecting any temptation to rotate ahead of upcoming fixtures. “We have to think about this game because if you think about the others you don’t win this one and maybe you don’t win the others.”
Home Advantage as Levante’s Weapon
Castro emphasized the role of Levante’s supporters in bolstering his team’s resolve during what promises to be a difficult afternoon. “The fans are always with us, we have played with one more and that gives us strength,” he said. “We will suffer for sure at times, but if we are more than 20,000 suffering it is better than suffering only the eleven of the field and those of the bench and the coaching staff. Here we are stronger and it is a match that we know will help us from the outside.”
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