Levante vs Osasuna: La Liga Clash Preview
Estadio Ciudad de Valencia stages a tense La Liga clash on 8 May 2026 as 19th‑placed Levante host mid‑table Osasuna in Round 35 of the regular season. The stakes could hardly be more contrasting: Levante are fighting to escape the relegation zone, while Osasuna are seeking to consolidate a top‑half finish and avoid being dragged into late-season turbulence.
With four games left, Levante sit 19th on 33 points, five adrift of Osasuna, who are 10th on 42. The hosts have a goal difference of -17 (38 scored, 55 conceded across all phases), while Osasuna arrive with -2 (40 for, 42 against). For Levante, this feels like a must‑win to keep survival hopes alive; for Osasuna, it is an opportunity to steady a slightly wobbling run of form.
Form and momentum
In the league, Levante’s recent form line of LDWWL hints at a team that has found sporadic wins but cannot string together a sustained run. Across all phases, their longer form sequence – littered with Ls – underlines just how fragile they have been: 8 wins, 9 draws and 17 defeats from 34 matches.
At home, however, Levante are at least competitive: 5 wins, 5 draws and 7 losses from 17 outings, scoring 21 and conceding 26. They have kept 4 clean sheets at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia and failed to score in 5 home games. The pattern is of a side that can raise their level on their own pitch but is undone too often by defensive lapses.
Osasuna’s league form of LWLDD reflects inconsistency more than collapse. Across all phases they have 11 wins, 9 draws and 14 losses from 34 matches, but the split between home and away is stark. At El Sadar they are strong (9‑5‑3, 29 scored, 20 conceded), yet away from home they have only 2 wins, 4 draws and 11 defeats, with a meagre 11 goals scored and 22 conceded. They have failed to score in 11 away matches, which is a critical tactical theme heading into this trip.
Tactical trends: shapes and styles
Levante have been tactically flexible but not always coherent. Their most-used formation is 4‑2‑3‑1 (11 matches), followed closely by 4‑4‑2 (10) and 4‑1‑4‑1 (7), with occasional switches to back‑five structures like 5‑4‑1. That variety suggests a coach searching for balance between defensive protection and getting enough bodies around the box.
They average 1.1 goals for and 1.6 against per game across all phases, pointing to a side that often needs to score twice just to take something from matches. Their biggest wins (4‑2 at home, 0‑4 away) show they can be explosive on their day, but the heaviest defeats (1‑4 at home, 5‑1 away) underline how quickly things unravel if they are forced to chase.
Osasuna are more structurally defined. Their default is also 4‑2‑3‑1 (19 matches), but they can switch to three‑at‑the‑back systems like 3‑4‑3 (7 matches) or 3‑4‑2‑1 when game state demands more control or defensive solidity. Across all phases they average 1.2 goals scored and 1.2 conceded, which fits the profile of a compact, risk‑managed side.
Away from home, that risk management can shade into caution: only 0.6 goals scored per away game, but 1.3 conceded. They have kept just 2 clean sheets on their travels, which may encourage Levante to be bolder than usual, especially given Osasuna’s tendency to sit in and counter.
Key players and attacking focal points
Osasuna’s obvious reference point is Ante Budimir. The Croatian striker has 16 league goals in 33 appearances, a standout return for a mid‑table side. He has fired 76 shots, 36 on target, and is heavily involved in duels (339, with 161 won), making him a constant physical presence up front.
Budimir’s penalty record this season is mixed: 6 scored but 2 missed, so while he is clearly trusted from the spot, he cannot be described as flawless there. More broadly, his profile suits Osasuna’s approach: he can hold up long balls in a 4‑2‑3‑1, attack crosses when they shift to a back three with wing‑backs, and occupy both centre‑backs, creating second‑ball opportunities for supporting midfielders.
For Levante, the emerging star is Carlos Espí. The 20‑year‑old attacker has 9 goals in 21 appearances despite starting only 9 times, scoring at a rate of roughly a goal every 110 minutes. With 32 shots (19 on target), he is efficient rather than wasteful, and his dribbling numbers (10 successful from 22 attempts) show he can create his own shooting angles.
Espí has not taken or scored a penalty this season, so his goal tally is coming from open play. That makes him crucial in a Levante side that has often struggled to break down organised defences. Expect him to be the focal point of their attacks, either as a central striker in a 4‑2‑3‑1 or one of a front two in a 4‑4‑2, with licence to drift into half‑spaces.
Set pieces, discipline and penalties
Both teams show interesting penalty profiles. Across all phases, Levante have had just 2 penalties and scored both; Osasuna have had 6 and converted all of them at team level. That 100% team record is a potential edge in a tight game, even if Budimir himself has missed two in his individual tally across competitions.
Discipline could also shape the contest. Levante pick up a lot of yellow cards late in matches, with spikes between 61‑75 and 76‑90 minutes, hinting at fatigue and desperate defending. They have also seen red cards around the half‑hour mark and after the hour, which could be costly in a high‑pressure relegation battle.
Osasuna’s yellow card distribution is similarly back‑loaded, with most cautions from 61‑90 minutes, and they have multiple red cards in the final quarter‑hour and early in extra time windows. In a tense, scrappy game, the side that keeps its composure will likely control the final stages.
Team news and selection puzzles
Levante face significant selection headaches. Confirmed absentees include C. Alvarez (injury), K. Arriaga (suspension due to yellow cards), A. Primo (shoulder injury) and I. Romero (muscle injury). On top of that, Dela, U. Elgezabal and K. Tunde are all listed as questionable with muscle or knee problems.
Those absences could force further tactical improvisation, particularly if defensive or midfield options are thinned. It may push Levante towards a more conservative 4‑1‑4‑1 or 5‑4‑1 if they are short of fit attackers or central midfielders, though the need for three points argues for keeping Espí and at least one additional forward on the pitch.
Osasuna’s list is shorter but still relevant. V. Munoz is ruled out with a muscle injury, and A. Oroz is questionable. Depending on Oroz’s availability, Osasuna may have to adjust their creative midfield options behind Budimir, potentially leaning more on wide players and full‑backs to provide service.
Head‑to‑head: Osasuna’s upper hand
The last five competitive meetings between these sides, all in La Liga, show Osasuna with a clear edge:
- Osasuna 2‑0 Levante in December 2025
- Osasuna 3‑1 Levante in March 2022
- Levante 0‑0 Osasuna in December 2021
- Levante 0‑1 Osasuna in February 2021
- Osasuna 1‑3 Levante in September 2020
Over these five, Osasuna have 3 wins, Levante 1, with 1 draw. Osasuna have won the last two encounters and three of the last four, including a comfortable 2‑0 home victory earlier in the 2025 season. Levante’s only success in this run came away in Pamplona back in 2020; at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia the recent record is 1 draw, 1 Osasuna win, 0 Levante wins.
The verdict
All the data points to a finely balanced but stylistically clear contest. Levante are stronger at home than their league position suggests and have a potent young finisher in Carlos Espí, yet they concede too many goals and are stretched by injuries. Osasuna, by contrast, are robust and structured, with a prolific focal point in Ante Budimir, but their away form is poor and they struggle badly to score on the road.
Given Levante’s desperation for points and Osasuna’s away frailties, the hosts are likely to take more risks, pressing higher and committing numbers forward, particularly in the second half. Osasuna will be content to absorb pressure, look for set‑pieces and trust Budimir’s presence in the box.
On balance, Osasuna’s superior defensive structure and recent head‑to‑head dominance give them a slight edge, but their away scoring issues and Levante’s home resilience suggest a tight, low‑margin game. A draw or a narrow win either way feels the most logical outcome, with the individual battle between Espí and Budimir likely to decide which side edges closer to their end‑of‑season objective.
