Barcelona vs Levante 03/02/20

3 February 2020

Backed by a 5-0 dismantling of Leganes in Copa del Rey, Barcelona will be looking to erase the memory of last weekend’s La Liga (LL) loss to Valencia when they take on Levante at the Camp Nou this weekend.

Delivering action from the get-go, six of Barcelona’s ten LL home games this season have featured at least one goal inside the opening 15 minutes of play. That’s very much in line with Barcelona’s tendency to break their rivals quickly in the first half. Indeed, 19 of their 35 home goals scored so far came before the break (54%), with the Catalans scoring over 1.5 first-half in seven of ten LL fixtures held here. The Blaugrana fans must be rubbing their hands knowing Levante are due to arrive at the Camp Nou this weekend. Notably, the reigning champions won 14 consecutive competitive H2Hs held at this venue, scoring over 2.5 goals on nine of those occasions.

Action in Levante’s away matches usually kicks off late, with 37.5% of the 32 total goals across their 11 LL away fixtures this season coming after the break. The Frogs contribute massively to that, as their zoning out in the second half saw them ship 15 of 21 league away goals in the second 45 minutes. But, Levante’s attacking game also sparks into life after halftime, with 17 of their total 26 LL goals scored also coming in the second half (65%). Yet, all that looks meaningless when considered they have failed to find the net in seven of their last nine competitive trips to Barcelona, scoring precisely one goal apiece in the other two.