Levante v Atletico Madrid: Preview, predicted line-ups & team news

Levante have spent October producing results that are hard to read. They drew 3-3 with Sevilla on 12 October, drew 1-1 at Deportivo La Coruna, then beat Athletic Club 3-1 in midweek, only to lose 2-1 at Real Sociedad last Sunday. That is 10 points from 10 games and 15th place, one spot above the pack of sides on 9 points or fewer.

Atletico Madrid come to Valencia in a very different mood. They have won their last five league games, are second on 25 points, and have conceded eight goals all season. Their one defeat in the last ten was a 3-0 loss at Athletic Club on 5 September. The hosts have scored freely at home, but this is the toughest defensive record they have faced.

Levante's season splits sharply by venue. At home they have played four, won two, drawn one and lost one, scoring 13 goals (3.3 per game) and conceding 10 (2.5 per game). Away they have scored just three in six games, winning none, which helps explain their position. They beat Real Betis 5-2 on 29 August, their biggest win of the season, and lost 4-2 to Barcelona at home on 13 September.

The underlying numbers are less flattering than the home scoring. Over their last ten league games Levante average 0.95 expected goals for and 1.69 against, with 42.6% possession and 4 shots on target per game. They have conceded in eight of their ten league games (the season data shows only two clean sheets), so the defence is likely to be tested even if Atletico are not at their most fluent.

Atletico's away record is four wins from five, with 9 goals scored and 5 conceded. Over their last ten league games they average 2.0 goals scored and 0.8 conceded, with 17.3 shots per game and 6.1 on target. Their 2-1 win over Real Madrid on 20 September is the best result in that run.

The form data also suggests they finish games strongly. Eight of their 20 league goals (40%) have come between the 76th and 90th minute, though the same period has produced three of the eight they have conceded. Levante's own goals show a similar late pattern, with six of their 16 (37.5%) arriving in the final 15 minutes.

The recent-form data gives Levante two wins, four draws and four defeats from their last ten league games, with 16 goals scored and 19 conceded. Atletico have won eight, drawn one and lost one, scoring 20 and conceding 8. The trend favours the visitors clearly, as they have not dropped a point since the 2-2 draw with Villarreal on 23 August apart from the Athletic Club defeat. However, Levante's results are better at home than the overall record suggests, and their 3-1 win over Athletic Club on 21 October came at this venue. Surface form therefore overstates the gap slightly, but not by a lot given the shot and xG differences.

Levante are 15th on 10 points from 10 games, with a goal difference of -3. They are level on points with Elche (16th) and one point clear of Rayo Vallecano (17th, 9 points from nine games). Getafe in 18th are also on 9 points, and the bottom three are Getafe, Valencia and Malaga, so the cushion over the relegation places is only a single point for Levante.

Atletico are second on 25 points from 10 games, two behind Barcelona (27) and one ahead of Real Madrid (24, also with 10 played). A win keeps them in touch with the leaders, while a defeat would let Real Madrid and Real Betis (20 points) close in behind them. For Levante, a win would lift them to 13 points and into the mid-table pack, where seventh to 14th are separated by only a point or two.

The supplied summary covers the last 10 meetings in all competitions. Levante have won two, Atletico four and four have been drawn, with an average of 2.3 goals per game. Both teams scored in five of the ten (50%), and four (40%) produced more than 2.5 goals. The last meeting was a 0-0 draw at this ground on 31 January 2026.

The pattern is low-scoring and close, so Atletico's four wins do not tell the whole story. Levante have taken results from this fixture before, including a 1-0 win at Atletico in February 2022. This season is different at the margins: both sides are scoring more than that average, as Levante have 16 league goals and Atletico 20 in ten games. That points towards both teams scoring and a total around the 2.5 line, rather than a repeat of the goalless draw. The correct score lean is a narrow away win.

The largest gap is in shots. Atletico average 17.3 per game with 6.1 on target over their last ten, against 10.8 and 4.0 for Levante. That is reflected in possession (60% against 42.6%) and corners, where Atletico win 6.0 per game and concede 2.5, while Levante win 3.3 and concede 5.1.

The second gap is defensive. Atletico have conceded 0.8 goals per game and kept five clean sheets, against 1.9 and two for Levante. However, expected goals tell a more even story for Atletico, of 1.11 for and 1.16 against, which suggests their results have run slightly ahead of their chance quality. Levante's 3.3 goals per home game is the one number that can unsettle that.

Both sides have used a 4-4-2 most often this season (Levante four times in ten, Atletico six), so that is the expected shape. Atletico are without two midfielders, which opens a place in the centre for a selection call. Levante's only absence is in midfield.

Levante: Cayetano; Toljan, Mandi, Dela, Manu Sánchez; Brugui, Olasagasti, Oriol Rey, Carlos Álvarez; Iván Romero, Etta Eyong

Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Grimaldo; Giuliano Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Lee Kang-In; Julián Álvarez, Sørloth

Kick-off is at 13:00 GMT on Saturday 31 October 2026 (the clocks went back in the UK on 25 October). A UK broadcaster has not been confirmed for this fixture yet, and this page will be updated closer to kick-off once one is.

The strongest angle is the gap in recent-form numbers: Atletico's 17.3 shots per game against Levante's 10.8, and five clean sheets from ten against two. Levante's home scoring (13 goals in four games) is what keeps the goals markets live, and both sides have gone over 2.5 goals in seven of their last ten league games. The picks below combine an Atletico win with goals at both ends.