Levante's Thrilling 3-2 Victory Keeps Relegation Battle Alive
Late drama at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia as V. Garcia's brace helps hosts overcome early deficit
What a Friday night thriller at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia! Levante produced one of their most important performances of the season, overcoming an early deficit and a bizarre own goal to beat Osasuna 3-2 in a relegation battle that had everything.
The match got off to the worst possible start for the hosts when Jeremy Toljan's unfortunate own goal in the 3rd minute handed Osasuna an early advantage. But the visitors' joy was short-lived as Ante Budimir leveled the score just eight minutes later with a well-taken finish.
The game's turning point came in a frantic five-minute spell before halftime. V. Garcia emerged as Levante's hero, netting twice in quick succession (35' and 37') to completely flip the script. His celebrations were tempered by a yellow card in the 41st minute, but the damage was done. Osasuna's task became even harder when Sergio Herrera received a straight red card right on the stroke of halftime, leaving the visitors to play the entire second half with ten men.
Despite dominating possession (67%) and outshooting their opponents 35 to 5, Levante couldn't put the game to bed until the dying moments. The hosts peppered Osasuna's goal with 12 shots on target, forcing the visiting keeper into 9 saves, but it took until the 90th minute for K. Etta Eyong to finally seal the victory with what proved to be the winner.
Tactically, this was all about Levante's patience and persistence. With nearly 70% possession and 511 passes completed at 87% accuracy, they systematically wore down the ten-man visitors. Their expected goals of 3.22 reflected their dominance, and they got the finishing they needed when it mattered most.
Jeremy Toljan's SAM rating of 8.8 tells the story of redemption after his early own goal, while goalkeeper Mathew Ryan (8.3 SAM) provided the stability needed between the sticks. Victor Muñoz (8.8 SAM) and Flavien Boyomo (8.6 SAM) were Osasuna's standout performers despite the defeat.
This victory moves Levante to 39 points, still in 18th but now just three points from safety with games running out. For Osasuna, sitting in 10th with 42 points, it's a missed opportunity to climb further up the table. With the relegation battle intensifying, every point matters, and Levante's fighting spirit suggests they won't go down without a serious fight.