Marcelino Can Seal Villarreal – Levante With A Point And Sixth Champions League
Villarreal – Levante is set up as the day Villarreal can lock down Champions League football with a point. Marcelino’s side hosts Levante UD at 14.00 hours after the esmorzar, and a draw would be enough to secure a sixth qualification for Europe’s top club competition.
The equation is simple for Villarreal CF: take one point and the place is theirs mathematically. The timing is the point of the derby, because Levante arrives with far more urgency while Villarreal sits third and leads Atlético de Madrid by five points.
Marcelino’s lineup choices
Marcelino is expected to field his best possible lineup, with Santi Comesaña back after a suspension and Mouriño still a doubt. Buchanan is expected to be in the squad and start on the bench, while Arnau Tenas has been the starter in this final stretch.
At right back, Freeman would repeat. On the left, Pedraza and Cardona are competing for the spot, with Pedraza holding the edge. Up front, Gerard and Mikautadze are expected to form the attacking pair, and Nicolas Pepe brings a run of four goals in Villarreal’s last six matches.
Levante’s survival chase
Levante sits three points from safety, a gap that was as large as seven points before its recent surge. Since Luis Castro arrived in December, the team has taken 15 points in its last eight matches and has already beaten Getafe 1-0 and Sevilla 2-0 at the Ciutat.
Carlos Espí has scored eight goals, and Etta Eyong is in Levante’s squad. If he plays, Levante must pay Villarreal 300,000 euros under the transfer agreement, a detail that folds the derby’s stakes into a direct financial cost.
Villarreal has already done the harder work. It is 15 points behind Betis, 21 behind Celta, 22 behind Real Sociedad and 24 behind Athletic, so the immediate task is narrow: finish the job against a rival that needs every point it can still find.
“Som de Champions” at La Cerámica
The chant in the background is simple: “Som de Champions.” Villarreal has won Champions League qualification five times before, and one point on this matchday would make the sixth return official.
For supporters inside La Cerámica, the practical next step is straightforward too. If Villarreal avoids defeat, the club can move from chasing the cutoff to planning for Europe’s top stage again, while Levante leaves with its survival margin still under pressure.
