Levante Unión Deportiva secured a spectacular first win of the season by thrashing Real Betis 5-2 in the third matchday of LaLiga. The match, played at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, leaves the home side ninth in the table with 4 points from three games.
The match details were first reported by outlet La Tercera. The Granotes, who now have a goal difference of zero with 5 scored and 5 conceded, ended Betis's perfect start, which had included wins over Real Sociedad and Valencia.
How did Levante's thrashing unfold?
Adri de la Fuente opened the scoring for Levante in the 24th minute with a header from a corner, also netting his team's first goal of the campaign. Marc Bartra equalised for Betis ten minutes later with a powerful long-range strike. In first-half stoppage time, the game went wild. Enzo Bardeli put Levante back ahead in the 45+2nd minute after a mistake by Héctor Bellerín. Rodrigo Riquelme responded almost instantly, in the 45+4th, with another header to make it 2-2 at the break.
Roger Brugué became the star of the second half. The forward scored two headed goals, the first in the 56th minute from another corner and the second in the 70th, sealing the match. Jon Olasagasti completed the rout in the 90th minute with a header on a counter-attack. Levante showed great efficiency, particularly from set-pieces.
What were the key chances in the match?
The game had several chances before the first goal. Troy Parrott had a goal disallowed for Betis in the 16th minute for a very tight offside. Three minutes later, Marc Bartra cleared a shot by Iván Romero off the line. Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan had to stretch to save a shot from Rodrigo Riquelme in the 26th.
In the second half, Parrott missed a great chance from close range with a header in the 49th minute. Five minutes later, Jon Olasagasti tested the keeper with a shot that Álvaro Valles pushed out for a corner. Ryan was key again in the 45+7th with a great save from an Antony shot. These interventions kept Levante in the game before their offensive explosion.
What substitutions did the managers make?
The Levante coach made one change at the start of the second half, bringing on Jeremy Toljan for Nacho Pérez. With the match decided, in the 72nd minute, Víctor García and Etta Eyong came on for Thiago Fernández and Iván Romero. Paco Cortés replaced the two-goal hero Roger Brugué in the 84th.
Manuel Pellegrini, for his part, made changes in the 55th minute, taking off Isco and Troy Parrott to bring on Cucho Hernández and Pablo Fornals. In the 67th, Pablo García and Nelson Deossa replaced Marc Roca and Rodrigo Riquelme. Betis's final change came in the 74th, with Abde coming on for Facundo Bernal.
What does this result mean for the season?
This victory places Levante ninth in LaLiga, three points behind leaders Atlético Madrid. The team has shown a potent attacking character, although their defence, with 5 goals conceded, remains an area for improvement. Levante UD's next fixture is an away trip to face bottom-placed Malaga on September 6th. Fans can follow the team's progress on our standings page and check the full schedule on fixtures.
The defeat is a significant setback for Betis's aspirations, as they lose their unbeaten record and must now prepare for a key clash against Real Madrid next Friday, before beginning their Champions League campaign.
