Levante welcome Osasuna to the Estadi Ciutat de València tonight, 8 May 2026, for a crucial La Liga Matchday 35 fixture that could have a major influence on the relegation battle and the race for European qualification.
The pressure is particularly intense for Levante, who enter the game in 19th place with 33 points from 34 matches. Luís Castro's side are four points behind 17th-placed Sevilla with only four games remaining, meaning every available point has become increasingly valuable in their attempt to preserve their La Liga status. Despite improving considerably during the second half of the campaign, the poor results accumulated earlier in the season have left Levante with very little margin for error.
Osasuna's position initially looks much more comfortable, with Alessio Lisci's team sitting 10th on 42 points, but the visitors still have plenty to play for. They are only two points behind the teams occupying the nearest European positions, so a strong finish could transform an inconsistent league campaign into another opportunity to qualify for continental football. That makes this much more than a case of Osasuna simply trying to spoil Levante's survival hopes.
Levante vs Osasuna Head-to-Head Summary: Last 10 Matches
Osasuna have enjoyed the better recent record in this fixture, although Levante have produced several important victories of their own. Looking at the 10 league meetings immediately before tonight's match, Osasuna won five times, Levante recorded three victories, and the remaining two matches finished level.
The last 10 meetings before the 8 May 2026 fixture were:
8 December 2025: Osasuna 2-0 Levante
19 March 2022: Osasuna 3-1 Levante
5 December 2021: Levante 0-0 Osasuna
14 February 2021: Levante 0-1 Osasuna
27 September 2020: Osasuna 1-3 Levante
24 January 2020: Osasuna 2-0 Levante
29 September 2019: Levante 1-1 Osasuna
1 March 2014: Levante 2-0 Osasuna
29 September 2013: Osasuna 0-1 Levante
25 February 2013: Levante 0-2 Osasuna
Across those games, Osasuna scored 12 goals, and Levante scored eight, producing 20 goals in total and an average of 2.0 goals per match. The numbers underline how often this fixture has been relatively tight, with six of those 10 encounters producing two goals or fewer.
The broader trend also favours Osasuna. Levante have won only one of their previous seven meetings with the Pamplona club before tonight, and that victory came in September 2020 when they travelled to El Sadar and secured an impressive 3-1 win.
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Most Recent Meeting: Osasuna 2-0 Levante
The most recent encounter took place at El Sadar on 8 December 2025, when Osasuna earned a convincing 2-0 victory during the first half of the season. Víctor Muñoz opened the scoring with a header after 13 minutes before Rubén García doubled the advantage later in the first half, leaving Levante with a difficult deficit that they were unable to overturn.
Osasuna's intensity and high pressing caused problems for Levante throughout the game, while goalkeeper Mathew Ryan had to make several saves to prevent the margin from becoming even larger. The result was particularly disappointing for Levante because it came during a difficult period in which a change on the coaching bench had yet to produce an immediate improvement in performances.
Tonight's match therefore allows Levante to reverse that result at home, but the circumstances have changed significantly since December. Castro has overseen an improvement during the second half of the season, while Osasuna's own league campaign has become increasingly unpredictable.
Levante's Current La Liga Form
Levante's position in the table remains extremely dangerous, but their recent results have offered more encouragement than their 19th-place ranking might suggest. They have collected seven points from their previous four league matches and have lost only twice across their last nine, showing clear signs of improvement under Castro even though the relegation threat remains severe.
One of their biggest recent results was a 2-0 home victory over Sevilla on 23 April, which demonstrated that Levante could handle the pressure of facing another team involved in the survival battle. They followed that with a goalless draw away to Espanyol before suffering a damaging 5-1 defeat against Villarreal on 2 May.
The Villarreal defeat was a major setback because Levante had briefly equalised through Carlos Espí early in the second half before the game escaped from them. Villarreal scored four further goals and exposed defensive weaknesses that have repeatedly caused Levante problems this season. The result left Castro's team four points from safety with only 12 points still available.
Contrary to the idea that home form has been Levante's saving grace, their overall record at the Ciutat de València has actually been one of the weaker home records in La Liga. They have collected 20 points from 17 home matches, with only one team performing worse on its own ground before this round. Their recent home improvement provides some encouragement, but the season-long numbers show why tonight cannot be treated as an easy opportunity simply because Levante are playing in front of their supporters.
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Osasuna's Current La Liga Form
Osasuna arrive with 42 points from 34 matches after recording 11 victories, nine draws and 14 defeats. Although they remain in the top half, their season has been characterised by periods of excellent form followed by frustrating runs in which they have struggled to maintain momentum.
Their most recent game ended in a 2-1 home defeat against Barcelona, although the performance was more competitive than the final result might suggest. Osasuna frustrated the league leaders for much of the match and created opportunities of their own before Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres scored late goals. Raúl García responded near the end, but there was not enough time to complete the comeback.
Osasuna's major weakness has been their away record. Lisci's team have won only two of their 17 away league matches and collected just 10 points on the road, making them one of La Liga's poorest travelling teams. That record gives Levante genuine reason to believe they can win despite the nine-point difference between the clubs in the standings.
At the same time, Osasuna cannot afford to approach the fixture without ambition because European qualification remains surprisingly close. They are only two points behind Athletic Club and Getafe and five behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo, so three points in Valencia could significantly improve their position heading into the final three matches.
Levante Team News and Injuries
Levante enter this important match with several availability concerns, and their midfield will definitely be weakened by the absence of Kervin Arriaga. The Honduran midfielder collected a suspension-triggering yellow card during the 5-1 defeat against Villarreal and is therefore unavailable to face Osasuna.
Unai Elgezabal is also ruled out as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. Alejandro Primo, Dela, Paco Cortés and Adrián de la Fuente have all required assessment ahead of the game, leaving Castro with several decisions to make when selecting his defensive and midfield options.
There are further concerns in attack because Carlos Álvarez and Iván Romero both emerged from the Villarreal defeat with fitness problems and are considered major doubts. Losing either would reduce Levante's creativity at a time when they desperately need goals, while the possibility of both missing the match would place even more responsibility on players such as Carlos Espí and Karl Etta Eyong.
Espí showed against Villarreal that he can make an impact when opportunities arrive, and his movement around the penalty area could become useful against an Osasuna defence that is likely to remain compact for long periods.
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Osasuna Team News and Injuries
Osasuna travel to Valencia with fewer injury problems than the hosts, although Víctor Muñoz remains unavailable because of a muscular injury in his left calf. His absence removes a player who caused Levante significant problems in the reverse fixture, when he scored Osasuna's opening goal.
There is better news regarding Aimar Oroz, who has recovered from his recent physical problems and is available again. His return gives Lisci another important creative option between midfield and attack, particularly if Osasuna find themselves needing to control possession rather than relying primarily on transitions and set pieces.
Ante Budimir remains the visitors' main goalscoring threat. The Croatian striker enters the game with 16 La Liga goals this season, although he has gone three league appearances without scoring. His physical presence, movement inside the penalty area and ability in the air make him an obvious concern for a Levante defence that has struggled to maintain consistency.
Tactical Matchup and Style of Play
1. Levante
Levante's approach under Castro has become more aggressive and energetic as their need for points has increased. They are more willing to push players forward, attack through wide areas and place opponents under pressure earlier, particularly when playing at home against teams they believe they can beat.
That approach carries obvious risks. The 5-1 defeat against Villarreal demonstrated how quickly Levante can become exposed when their defensive structure breaks down, and Osasuna have enough experience to punish another overly aggressive performance. Castro therefore needs his team to attack with urgency without allowing the desperation of the relegation battle to turn the match into an uncontrolled contest.
If Carlos Álvarez and Romero are unavailable, Levante may also need to become more direct. Espí can provide a focal point through the middle, while Etta Eyong offers another attacking option capable of running behind defenders. Set pieces could also become increasingly important if the hosts struggle to create clear opportunities from open play.
2. Osasuna
Osasuna are generally more comfortable playing a structured and physical game. Lisci can rely on an experienced centre-forward in Budimir, while Lucas Torró and Jon Moncayola give the midfield defensive strength and the ability to compete for second balls.
Crosses and set pieces are likely to remain important because Budimir is one of La Liga's strongest aerial forwards. Levante therefore need to avoid conceding unnecessary free kicks in wide areas and must defend corners with greater concentration than they showed during some of their poorer performances this season.
However, Osasuna's weak away record suggests that simply sitting deep and waiting for Levante to make mistakes may not be enough. The visitors have European ambitions of their own and should have opportunities to attack a home team that must eventually take risks.
Levante vs Osasuna Match Expectations
This is a difficult fixture to identify a clear favourite because the strongest arguments for both teams point in different directions. Osasuna are nine points above Levante, won the reverse fixture 2-0 and have the better recent head-to-head record, but their extremely poor away results make it difficult to describe them as comfortable favourites at the Ciutat de València.
Levante, meanwhile, have shown significant improvement during the second half of the season and will have considerably greater urgency because of their league position. They cannot afford to rely on the remaining fixtures to repair another defeat, particularly with four points separating them from safety before kickoff.
The hosts' injury concerns complicate matters, especially if Álvarez and Romero cannot recover, while Arriaga's suspension removes another important player from midfield. Osasuna are closer to full strength and have Budimir available to attack a Levante defence that has regularly looked vulnerable.
For Levante, the key will be combining the intensity expected from a relegation-threatened home team with enough patience to avoid giving Osasuna easy counter-attacking opportunities. An early goal could completely transform the atmosphere inside the stadium and put pressure on an Osasuna side that has rarely looked comfortable away from Pamplona.
Osasuna, on the other hand, will know that Levante's desperation can eventually create spaces if the match remains level deep into the second half. With European qualification still within reach, Lisci's team also has enough motivation to chase all three points rather than settle immediately for a draw.
The league position and recent head-to-head record give Osasuna a slight statistical advantage, but their away struggles and Levante's urgent need for points make this a genuinely difficult game to predict. A narrow victory for either side or a closely fought draw would not be surprising, although Levante may need to take greater risks as the game progresses because one point alone would do relatively little to improve their survival position.
With only four matches remaining and the bottom half of La Liga separated by remarkably small margins, tonight's meeting could ultimately prove decisive in determining whether Levante remain in the top flight and whether Osasuna can keep their European ambitions alive.