Preview: Levante vs. Huesca - prediction, team news, lineups

Huesca will be looking to move off the bottom of La Liga when they continue their 2020-21 campaign away to Levante on Friday night.

The visitors will enter the contest off the back of a goalless draw with Osasuna before the international break, while Levante suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Real Betis in their last match.

Match preview

© Reuters

Levante have finished 15th, 15th and 12th in their last three seasons at this level of football, meaning that a top-half position in 2020-21 would be seen as an impressive achievement.

A record of eight wins, 11 draws and nine defeats from 28 matches has seen Paco Lopez 's side collect 35 points, which has left them in 10th position in the table, just a point behind eighth-placed Granada.

Levante have only actually won one of their last four in the league, though, with the victory coming at home to rivals Valencia on March 12. As mentioned, they will enter this game off the back of a 2-0 loss at Betis, with Nabil Fekir and Juanmi on the scoresheet for the home side in Seville.

The Frogs have only lost two of their 14 home league matches this season, which will hand them confidence heading into Friday's encounter, while Lopez's side will be taking on a Huesca side with the fourth-worst away record in the league, winning just one of their 14 fixtures on their travels.

© Reuters

Huesca, meanwhile, will enter Friday's contest off the back of a goalless draw with Osasuna on March 20, which followed back-to-back defeats to Celta Vigo and Barcelona.

Pacheta 's side have won three, drawn 12 and lost 13 of their 28 league matches this season to sit bottom of the table with 21 points, but they are far from in a terminal position with a lot of football still to play.

Indeed, the strugglers are only two points behind 18th-placed Eibar and just four points from Elche in 17th, meaning that a win in this match would move them to within one point of safety.

Huesca, as mentioned, have found it difficult on their travels this term, but they have picked up four points from their last four games on the road and are capable of harming Levante in this match.

Each of the last three La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished level, meanwhile, including a 1-1 draw in the reverse match earlier this season.

Levante La Liga form:

D

W

D

L

W

L

Levante form (all competitions):

W

D

L

L

W

L

Huesca La Liga form:

L

W

D

L

L

D

Team News

© Reuters

Levante will again be unable to call upon Jose Campana, Gonzalo Melero and Nemanja Radoja on Friday, while Aitor Fernandez and Jorge Miramon are also expected to miss out.

Nikola Vukcevic picked up a groin problem against Betis last time out and is also a major doubt, meaning that Lopez will have far from a full-strength squad available for this game.

There will be a number of changes from the side that started in Seville, with Sergio Leon, Dani Cardenas, Coke and Mickael Malsa potentially among those to come into the first XI.

As for Huesca, Gaston Silva and Antonio Valera are still on the sidelines through injury, while Denis Vavro is a doubt due to a hamstring complaint.

Vavro's spot at the back could be taken by Pablo Insua, but it might otherwise be the same XI that took to the field for the goalless draw with Osasuna before the international break.

The only real talking point comes in the final third, with Sandro Ramirez, Dani Escriche and Shinji Okazaki all battling to start alongside leading scorer Rafa Mir.

Levante possible starting lineup:

Cardenas; Coke, Rober, Vezo, Clerc; De Frutos, Malsa, Bardhi, Morales; Marti, Leon

Huesca possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Insua, Pulido, Siovas; Maffeo, Ferreiro, Seoane, Rico, Galan; Mir, Sandro

We say: Levante 1-1 Huesca

The last three La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished all square, and we are finding it difficult to back against another draw here. Levante have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, and Huesca are more than capable of picking up a share of the spoils on Friday evening.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.