A recent history of Levante v FC Barcelona

A recent history of Levante v FC Barcelona

Barça have only lost once at Levante, back in the 1964/65 season. More recently, the team clinched the league title at Levante in 2004/05 and 2010/11.

Barça are in top form as they arrive in Valencia to take on Levante this weekend, and are the only team with a perfect record after the first three Liga matches. Levante, however, have yet to win a match after losing the first two to Villareal and Atletico Madrid and coming away with a draw against Malaga. With only one point out of nine possible, Levante will be facing Barça in a must win situation.

In the last several meetings between these two teams, Barça have dominated. In fact, the last time Levante defeated Barça on their home field was a 5-1 victory way back in 1964/65. Since then, Barça haven't lost there.

Two titles clinched

In the 2004/05 season, although Barça did not come away victorious in their match at Levante, a single Samuel Eto'o header secured a 1-1 tie and handed the team its first Liga title of the Frank Rijkaard era. And six years later, another 1-1 tie on the same pitch, courtesy of a Seydou Keita goal, gave Barça their third consecutive Liga title under Pep Guardiola.

Big wins

FC Barcelona have also had their share of easy victories at Levante, putting up four goals on two occasions.  In their sixth Liga Match in 2007/08Rijkaard's team won 4-1 on a Lionel Messi goal and a Thierry Henry hat trick.

And in 2012/13, in the 13th Liga match, Barça shut out Levante 4-0. It was historic, not for the final score, but because it was in that match that coach Tito Vilanova filled all 11 positions on the field with homegrown players. It was an injury to Dani Alves that led to his substitution by Martin Montoya who completed the 11 man lineup made in the Masia. The team's four second-half goals and outstanding overall play reaffirmed the Barça model.

Iniesta was the man of that match with a goal and three assists. It was Messi who opened up the match with the first two scores, that at the time brought him ever closer to Gerd Muller's all time record which he would eventually break.

Força Barça
Força Barça

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