Levante secured their first victory of the season by defeating Real Betis 5-2 in an entertaining LaLiga clash at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium.
Roger Brugué scored a second-half double for Luís Castro's team to break open a match that stood level at 2-2 following a chaotic opening period marked by defensive errors from both sides.
The home side started with intent, pressing high up the pitch under the direction of striker Iván Romero. Romero became an early focal point, failing to convert a loose ball inside the penalty area in the 11th minute before seeing his 14th-minute shot saved by the reflexes of Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles.
Despite Levante dominating the early exchanges, Manuel Pellegrini's Betis side created a major scare from a set piece. Irish forward Troy Parrott turned the ball into the net following a pass from Rodrigo Riquelme, but the goal was disallowed after Parrott was caught in an offside position.
Levante made their early superiority count in the 24th minute. Central defender Adrián de la Fuente, known as Dela, connected with a header from a corner kick that caught Valles wrong-footed to open the scoring for the hosts.
First half goals and defensive errors
The lead lasted less than ten minutes as Levante brought trouble upon themselves in the 33rd minute. Oriol Rey lost possession in front of his own penalty area, allowing Parrott to hold off four defenders before the loose ball broke to Marc Bartra, whose long-range strike surprised goalkeeper Mathew Ryan to make it 1-1.
Defensive inaccuracies continued into first-half stoppage time. Héctor Bellerín left a short ball for Bartra, who hesitated under pressure. Enzo Bardeli seized on the mistake and hit a powerful strike past Valles in the 45+2 minute to restore Levante's lead.
Real Betis equalised for a second time before the interval. In the 45+4 minute, Riquelme scored to bring the scoreline to 2-2 heading into the halftime break.
Brugué double puts Levante in command
Defensive vulnerability persisted after the restart. Real Betis came close to taking the lead when Parrott directed a header toward goal, while Levante responded through Jon Ander Olasagasti, who forced a fine save from Valles after collecting a loose ball inside the penalty area.
Levante capitalized on the resulting corner in the 55th minute. Club captain Roger Brugué attacked the ball unmarked from deep to head home, with neither Valles nor midfielder Marc Roca able to clear the ball on the line.
Brugué extended Levante's advantage in the 70th minute after another swift attack. Romero broke free inside the area and struck a shot past Valles that hit the post, allowing Brugué to pounce on the rebound and score his second goal of the match.
With Betis pushing forward in search of a comeback, Levante secured their fifth goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time (90+5'). Substitute Etta Eyong crossed for Olasagasti, who directed his header past Valles to complete the 5-2 scoreline.
Team line-ups and match statistics
Levante manager Luís Castro lined his team up in a 1-4-1-4-1 formation featuring Ryan in goal; Pérez, Dela, Mandi and Sánchez in defence; Bardeli, Rey and Olasagasti in midfield; with Brugué and Fernández supporting central striker Romero. Castro made five substitutions: Toljan replaced Pérez at half-time, Sotelo came on for Bardeli in the 64th minute, while Eyong and García replaced Romero and Fernández in the 71st minute, before Cortés replaced Brugué in the 83rd minute.
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini set his team up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation with Valles in goal; Bellerín, Bartra, Natan and García in defence; Roca and Bernal in central midfield; behind an attacking midfield trio of Antony, Isco and Riquelme, with Parrott leading the line. Pellegrini also used five substitutes: Fornals replaced Isco and Hernández came on for Parrott in the 57th minute, Deossa and García replaced Roca and Riquelme in the 67th minute, and Abde replaced Bernal in the 74th minute.
Referee De Burgos Bengoetxea of the Basque Committee took charge of the match, issuing yellow cards to Levante substitute Toljan and Real Betis defender Pablo García. The official attendance at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium was 20,474 spectators.
Club context and season outlook
Levante UD are based in Valencia, playing their home fixtures at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium. The victory gives Portuguese manager Luís Castro his first three points of the LaLiga EA Sports season following the opening three matchdays. Real Betis Balompié, based in Seville, are led by Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini, who has managed the club since 2020.
