Levante UD suffered another La Liga defeat, losing 3-1 away to Villarreal on 20 September. The result leaves the granotas 17th in the table with just five points from six matches, as the hosts secured victory through goals from Ayoze Pérez, Alberto Moleiro and Georges Mikautadze, with Iván Romero scoring a consolation.
A promising start undone
The first half ended level at one goal apiece. Ayoze Pérez put Villarreal ahead in the 41st minute following a pass from Alberto Moleiro. Levante's response was almost instant, as just one minute later, Iván Romero converted a cross from Jeremy Toljan to beat Péter Gulácsi. The striker's goal, his second of the season, offered a brief respite for the visitors.
The deadlock was broken after the interval. In the 54th minute, Alberto Moleiro, after a fine individual move assisted by Ilias Akhomach, restored Villarreal's lead. Levante tried to react with substitutions, including the introduction of Petar Ratkov, but failed to create clear chances. The final blow came in the 86th minute, when substitute Georges Mikautadze finished a counter-attack, again assisted by Moleiro, to seal the 3-1 scoreline.
Concerning numbers
Villarreal's dominance was reflected in the match statistics. The home side enjoyed 62% possession and registered 15 shots, compared to just five from Levante. Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan was forced into a save in added time, but the damage was already done. With this loss, Levante have now lost two in a row, and their form over the last five matches reads one win, two draws and two defeats.
The Levante manager did not speak to reporters after the match, but the league table tells its own story. The team sits just one point above the relegation zone and has conceded 12 goals while scoring eight. Top scorer Roger Brugué, with three goals this term, could not find the net on this occasion. Attention now turns to the next fixture, a key home match against Sevilla at the Ciutat de València on 12 October. The players will have time to work during the international break, with an urgent need to improve their defensive solidity.
Background and full detail: Diario AS
