The 20th-round La Liga match between Real Madrid and Levante UD will take place on 17 january at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Real Madrid vs Levante UD: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Real Madrid
After losing to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid parted company with head coach Xabi Alonso.
The departure of the Spanish specialist was unexpected, as the team had managed to overcome a poor spell. Before El Clásico the team put together a run of five wins in all competitions, including three consecutive league victories. At the end of the first half of the season the team sits second in the table, four points short of leaders Barcelona. It is worth noting that the team is among the most reliable in La Liga: since the start of the season it has conceded 17 goals – the best record alongside Villarreal and Atletico. Nevertheless, the hosts are now led by Alvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted to the first team from the reserves.
- The team has scored 41 goals in the current championship, more only than Barcelona (53).
- The club’s uncompromising home run in the Primera lasts 17 matches (15 wins, 2 defeats).
- At least 2 goals have been scored in seven of the team’s matches in this competition.
Potential Real Madrid Lineup (4-4-2)
Thibaut Courtois – Raul Asensio, Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, Alvaro Carreras – Rodrigo, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham – Vinicius Junior, Gonzalo Garcia.
Midfielder Brahim Diaz is unavailable due to participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. Due to injuries defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao, as well as forward Kylian Mbappe, will miss the game.
Levante UD
Very recently the club also appointed a new head coach, and after the first two La Liga matches under Luis Castro Levante UD avoided defeat and collected four points from a possible six.
The team followed a surprise thrashing of Sevilla by holding a strong Espanyol (1:1), who sit in the top five. Overall the unbeaten run for the visitors in the championship lasts three matches (1 win, 2 draws); this is the best result for the club since returning to the Primera. Nevertheless, Levante UD still remain in the relegation zone. The gap to the safe 17th place is four points, but the team still have a game in hand.
- The Valencians won with a handicap (+1.5) in six of their last eight away La Liga matches.
- In the current campaign the club has conceded 30 goals in total, a worse figure only for two teams.
- At least 2 goals were scored in Levante UD’s five previous league matches.
Potential Levante UD Lineup (4-5-1)
Mathew Ryan – Jeremy Toljan, Adri, Matias Moreno, Diego Pampin – Iker Losada, Kervin Arriaga, Carlos Alvarez Rivera, Karim Tunde, Pablo Martinez – Ivan Romero.
Defender Unai Elgezabal and midfielder Victor Garcia are unavailable due to injury. The participation of midfielders Kervin Arriaga and Karim Tunde is in doubt.
Real Madrid vs Levante UD: Match Prediction
Real Madrid changed head coach rather unexpectedly. Alvaro Arbeloa will lead the team in La Liga for the first time, and at such a moment it is very important to avoid an unnecessary slip-up. Especially considering that the hosts are the clear favourites. There are, however, no obvious reasons for alarm. Before Xabi Alonso’s departure the team had recovered from the downturn and registered three consecutive league wins. At home Real Madrid has effectively dropped only one point in nine matches in the current league season. Slight concern comes from defensive errors, which led to the team conceding in five of their last seven Primera matches.
Levante UD have already played two matches under their new coach, and Luis Castro remains unbeaten so far. Overall the visitors have not lost in three consecutive La Liga matches (1 win, 2 draws), but they have not faced opponents of Real Madrid’s calibre in that run. In the last 12 meetings on Real Madrid’s ground the team managed to take points on only three occasions. At the same time, we note that in four of Levante UD’s five most recent away games against Real Madrid the visitors managed to score.
Prediction: Real Madrid To Win And Both Teams To Score
* The starting lineup shown for each team is the one used in its previous match in this competition.
