Levante Completes Comeback Against Osasuna in Thrilling 3-2 Victory

Levante beat Osasuna 3-2 at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, a comeback win that significantly boosts Levante’s survival bid. Starting the day 18th on 36 points, they move to 39 points and improve their goal difference, keeping alive their hopes of escaping the relegation places, while mid-table Osasuna miss a chance to strengthen their top-half position.

Osasuna struck inside three minutes in freak fashion, when Jeremy Toljan turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The start got worse for Levante on 11 minutes as Ante Budimir finished a move created by Abel Bretones, doubling Osasuna’s advantage at 2-0 and punishing the hosts’ defensive disarray.

Levante slowly recovered and found a route back into the game on 35 minutes. Víctor García converted after being set up by Pablo Martínez, halving the deficit at 1-2. Just two minutes later, García struck again, this time from an Oriol Rey assist, completing a rapid brace to level the match at 2-2 and flip the momentum decisively towards the home side.

The intensity remained high. In the 41st minute, Víctor García went into the book for tripping, a sign of Levante’s aggressive press as they tried to sustain pressure. A pivotal moment arrived on 45 minutes when Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was sent off for handling, leaving the visitors down to ten men and fundamentally changing the contest in Levante’s favour.

Deep into first-half stoppage time at 45+2', Osasuna responded to the red card by reshaping: Aitor Fernández replaced Aimar Oroz, with the substitute goalkeeper coming on to cover Herrera’s dismissal and Osasuna sacrificing an attacking midfielder.

At the start of the second half, on 46 minutes, Levante made their first change, with Roger Brugué replacing Kareem Tunde to inject fresh energy in wide areas against a now numerically inferior opponent.

On 62 minutes, Osasuna made a double substitution to stabilise the midfield and refresh the forward line: Lucas Torró came on for Iker Muñoz, adding defensive steel in front of the back four, while Raúl García de Haro replaced Ante Budimir at centre-forward, giving Osasuna a more mobile outlet up front.

Levante responded on 66 minutes by withdrawing the influential but booked Víctor García, with José Luis Morales replacing him to maintain attacking thrust from the flank without the disciplinary risk.

The hosts collected another booking on 74 minutes when Matias Moreno was shown a yellow card for tripping, reflecting Levante’s aggressive counter-press to prevent Osasuna breaking out with ten men.

Levante then turned to their bench again in the 76th minute with a double change aimed at adding fresh legs in defence and attack: Alan Matturro replaced Dela in central defence, and Etta Eyong came on for Pablo Martínez in the attacking midfield line, giving Levante more direct running between the lines.

Osasuna tried to resist the pressure with further changes. On 82 minutes, Iker Benito replaced Rubén García to add pace on the flank, and a minute later, on 83 minutes, Asier Osambela came on for Raúl Moro, another attempt by Alessio Lisci to find fresh energy in transition despite being a man down.

Levante’s final roll of the dice came on 88 minutes, when Tai Abed replaced Manuel Sánchez, adding attacking impetus from full-back as the hosts chased a winner.

The decisive moment arrived right on 90 minutes. Substitute Etta Eyong scored the winner for Levante, finishing a move created by fellow substitute Alan Matturro. The late goal capped a full turnaround from 0-2 down to 3-2, with both scorer and provider coming from Luis Castro’s bench.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG (Expected Goals): Levante 3.22 vs Osasuna 0.63
• Possession: Levante 67% vs Osasuna 33%
• Shots on Target: Levante 12 vs Osasuna 3
• Goalkeeper Saves: Levante 2 vs Osasuna 9
• Blocked Shots: Levante 8 vs Osasuna 0

The numbers underline Levante’s dominance and show that the comeback was fully aligned with the underlying performance. Levante generated far more threat in open play (xG 3.22 vs 0.63), repeatedly working shooting positions inside the box and forcing Osasuna’s goalkeepers into sustained action (12 shots on target, 9 saves made by the visitors). Their 67% possession reflects territorial control, especially after the red card, while 8 blocked shots illustrate how often Osasuna’s defence had to throw bodies in front of goal. Osasuna’s early 2-0 lead came from a low-volume attacking output (just 3 shots on target), and once down to ten men they were largely pinned back, with the eventual 3-2 scoreline a fair reflection of the pressure and chance quality Levante produced.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

Levante began the night 18th on 36 points with a goal difference of -16, having scored 41 and conceded 57. Scoring three and conceding two moves their season totals to 44 goals for and 59 against, for a new goal difference of -15. With the win they climb to 39 points. That haul keeps them firmly in the relegation battle but crucially edges them closer to the safety line, tightening the gap to the teams just above the drop zone and giving them momentum heading into the final three rounds.

Osasuna started in 10th place on 42 points with a goal difference of -3, from 42 goals scored and 45 conceded. After this 3-2 defeat, they remain on 42 points, but their season tallies shift to 44 goals for and 48 against, worsening their goal difference to -4. They stay in mid-table, but this loss slows any late push towards the European places and leaves them looking over their shoulder at sides trying to break into the top half.

Lineups & Personnel

Levante Actual XI

• GK: Mathew Ryan
• DF: Jeremy Toljan, Adrián de la Fuente, Matias Moreno, Manuel Sánchez
• MF: Kareem Tunde, Oriol Rey, Pablo Martínez, Víctor García
• FW: Jon Ander Olasagasti, Carlos Espí

Osasuna Actual XI

• GK: Sergio Herrera
• DF: Valentin Rosier, Alejandro Catena, Enzo Boyomo, Abel Bretones
• MF: Jon Moncayola, Iker Muñoz, Rubén García, Aimar Oroz, Raúl Moro
• FW: Ante Budimir

Expert's Post-Match Verdict

Levante’s victory was built on sustained territorial dominance and volume of chances rather than pure ruthlessness, though the late winner showed their persistence (xG 3.22 from 35 total shots, including 12 on target). Luis Castro’s side pressed aggressively, overloaded wide areas and exploited the extra man after the red card, with his substitutions decisive: both Alan Matturro and Etta Eyong combined for the 90th-minute winner, underlining the impact from the bench. Defensively, the early own goal and Budimir’s strike exposed structural fragility, but once they settled, Levante largely suppressed Osasuna’s threat (only 5 shots conceded, 0.63 xG).

For Osasuna, this was more of a defensive collapse under siege than a tactical masterclass. They started efficiently in attack, scoring twice from limited early pressure, but the red card to Sergio Herrera flipped the match. Reduced to ten men, they were forced into a low block and relied heavily on their goalkeepers (9 saves) to stay in the game. Alessio Lisci’s in-game adjustments kept Osasuna competitive for long stretches, yet their inability to retain the ball (33% possession) and the absence of meaningful attacking outlets after the changes meant the late concession felt inevitable given the statistical imbalance.