Real Betis chase perfect start in Valencia as winless Levante seek first victory
On Saturday, unbeaten Real Betis, with six points from two games and no goals conceded, travel to face Levante at the Ciutat de València in pursuit of a perfect 9-out-of-9 La Liga start, while the hosts are still searching for their first win and first goal of the season.
The essentials
On Saturday, August 29, Levante UD host Real Betis at the Ciutat de València in round three of La Liga. Kick-off is at 17:00, with Basque referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea in charge. It will be Levante's first home fixture of the season.
Context
Real Betis arrive with a maximum six points, having won both of their opening matches - against Real Sociedad and Valencia, both by 1-0 - without conceding a goal. A win would give them a perfect 9 out of 9 and, according to MundoBetis, could put them provisionally top of the table, since direct rivals are lagging behind: Villarreal lost in Vitoria and have two points from three games, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao have yet to register a point, and Celta have only one. Betis' midweek win over Valencia was settled by a late goal from Pablo García - his first league goal in 20 appearances (442 minutes) for the club, and possibly his last, as the source reports his transfer to either Hull City or Olympiacos is close to completion.
Levante, meanwhile, have collected just one point from two rounds, following a 3-0 defeat away to Espanyol in Cornellà and a scoreless draw at Osasuna in Pamplona, and have yet to score this season. The club recently sold top scorer Carlos Espí to Real Madrid for €25 million; MundoBetis names former Betis forward Bakambu as a possible replacement, though this remains only a rumour so far.
Per Las Provincias, Saturday marks Levante's return to the Ciutat de València after 104 days, since a 2-0 win over Mallorca on May 17 secured the club's survival. Last season Levante closed out with five consecutive home wins and have not lost at home since February 18 - a run now being put to the test.
Lineups: some disagreement
Pre-match previews disagreed on the expected lineups. MundoBetis and Plaza Deportiva projected Irish forward Troy Parrott or Colombian Cucho Hernández leading the Betis attack, with Levante possibly fielding Hugo Sotelo or Oriol Rey in midfield. However, according to Yahoo Sports and YSscores, the confirmed starting lineup instead has Isco leading the Betis attack in a 4-2-3-1, with Brugué spearheading Levante's own 4-2-3-1. Levante are coached by Luís Castro, Betis by Manuel Pellegrini.
Weather
According to MundoBetis, the 17:00 kick-off stands despite the home club's request to move the schedule, with temperatures around 30°C in the shade and humidity above 55% expected to make conditions difficult for the players.
