Barcelona kept their perfect start to the La Liga season alive on Saturday, beating Levante 4-2 at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia and moving three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table. Lamine Yamal scored twice, and his second goal, from the penalty spot three minutes into the second half, helped turn a tight contest into one Barcelona appeared to control.
That is why the Levante UD Vs FC Barcelona standings are being searched now: Barcelona did not just win, they preserved a five-from-five start and added a cushion over Real Madrid that matters this early in the campaign. Xavi Espart opened the scoring, then Yamal finished a cut-back from Raphinha before the break, giving Barcelona a lead that looked secure.
Levante were not finished, though. Barcelona had the game in hand and then lost focus and composure, allowing Ivan Romero to score with 11 minutes remaining and Roger Brugue to cut the gap to 3-2 less than nine minutes later. For a brief spell, the result looked far less comfortable than the standings suggested, and Levante, who had been looking for only their second win of the season, suddenly had a route back into the match.
Karim Adeyemi’s stoppage-time strike settled it and restored Barcelona’s two-goal cushion. The win leaves Barcelona with five wins from five, top of La Liga and three points ahead of Real Madrid, while Levante are left to regroup after a defeat that came within reach of changing the shape of the table. Barcelona’s next test comes against Racing Santander on Wednesday at 20:30 BST, and the question now is whether the lapse that gave Levante hope was a one-off or the first warning sign of a longer season.
