Levante captain Brugue targets Barcelona upset at Ciudad de Valencia
Levante captain Brugue has set his sights on ending Barcelona’s perfect Liga start when the leaders arrive at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia on Sunday, September 13. The matchday-five meeting gives Luis Castro’s side the chance to test one of the division’s most prolific teams against a home record that has become a major source of confidence.
Levante draw belief from home form
Barcelona will travel to Valencia having won each of their first four league matches, but Levante have built a strong case for believing they can make the contest difficult. Their unbeaten Liga sequence at home dates back to February 2026, with eight wins from their last nine league fixtures at the stadium.
- Levante have won their previous six home matches in all relevant recent form cited by the club.
- Their 2026-27 home league campaign began with a 5-2 win over Real Betis.
- Malaga were held to a 0-0 draw in Levante’s most recent home Liga fixture.
- Across the last nine La Liga home games, Castro’s team have remained unbeaten.
Brugue said the squad respect the quality of the visitors but do not intend to approach the fixture with any sense of intimidation. He pointed to Levante’s results in Valencia and said the players would take the field without fear or a feeling of inferiority.
Barcelona bring a flawless league record
Hansi Flick’s side have made an emphatic opening to the 2026-27 domestic season. Barcelona have collected four wins from four in La Liga, scoring 17 times while allowing only two goals.
| Barcelona league start | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 4 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Goals scored | 17 |
| Goals conceded | 2 |
That run has placed Barcelona at the head of the Liga standings ahead of the trip to Levante, although their schedule includes a European assignment before they head south.
Preparation central to Levante’s plan
Brugue said Levante’s approach will depend on disciplined work on the training ground and a carefully prepared match plan. The forward believes there is no reason the hosts cannot pursue an upset if they execute that preparation against the league leaders.
Castro’s team will seek to use the familiarity of their own ground and their recent defensive resilience there to interrupt Barcelona’s attacking rhythm. The draw with Malaga showed Levante can also protect a clean sheet, while the five-goal display against Betis underlined their capacity to hurt opponents at the other end.
Feyenoord fixture comes before Valencia trip
Barcelona’s Champions League league-phase campaign begins on Wednesday, when Feyenoord visit before the Sunday match against Levante. The midweek commitment creates a demanding turnaround for Flick’s players and could give the home side an opportunity to exploit any fatigue.
Levante, however, will still face a Barcelona side in outstanding domestic form. The task for Brugue and his team is to turn their home sequence into a result that stops the leaders’ early-season momentum.
