Fixture: Espanyol vs Levante
Tournament and Date: La Liga, August 16, 18:00 (London Time)
Recommended Bet: Both Teams to Score - BTTS (Odds: 1.95)
Espanyol entered the new campaign following a difficult end to the previous season, where they suffered seven defeats in their final 14 matches across all competitions. Their performance at home was particularly worrying, managing only two victories in their last 11 official matches at the RCDE Stadium. However, the summer transfer window brought a significant squad refresh. While players like Fernando Calero, Jose Gragera, and Antoniu Roca have moved on, the arrivals of Gabriel Moscardo and Alex Calatrava are expected to provide much-needed energy in the midfield. The attacking hopes are pinned on Kike Garcia (8 goals last season), while Pere Milla and Edu Exposito remain the primary creative engines. The "Periquitos" enjoyed a productive preseason, scoring 14 goals and losing only once in six matches.
Levante has also undergone a massive overhaul. The departure of Carlos Espi to Real Madrid and the exits of Matias Moreno and Diego Pampin have left gaps, but the additions of Yanis Musuayi and Aissa Mandi aim to keep the team competitive. Levante's historical away form in La Liga is a major concern, with nine losses in their last 13 road games, seven of which were by a margin of at least two goals. Nevertheless, their attacking statistics were superior to Espanyol’s last season (47 goals scored compared to 43). Their preseason also showed promise, with four wins and nine goals scored across six outings.
Early-season matches are notoriously difficult to predict as squads attempt to find their rhythm after high transfer activity. Espanyol is likely to leverage home advantage to control possession, but Levante remains a significant threat on the counter-attack, especially against a host defense that conceded 55 goals last year. Given that Levante had the leakiest defense in the league last season (61 goals conceded), there is a strong likelihood of goals at both ends of the pitch. Expect a high-tempo encounter where both sides find the net.
