Atlético de Madrid Faces Levante: A Tightrope Walk in Valencia
Atlético de Madrid head to the Ciutat de València on Saturday with numbers that scream authority and performances that whisper doubt.
Six straight LaLiga wins. Unbeaten in eight across all competitions. Second in the table on 25 points, just two behind Barcelona. On paper, Diego Simeone’s team look like a machine rolling into town.
The reality has been grittier, and that is exactly what makes this trip to Levante dangerous.
Winning, but not quite convincing
Last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Deportivo A Coruña at the Metropolitano summed up Atlético’s current state. Efficient, yes. Comfortable, not quite.
Julián Álvarez decided the match shortly after halftime, another decisive contribution in a growing list. Jan Oblak, again, had to step in late to make sure the three points stayed in Madrid. It has become a familiar pattern.
Four of Atlético’s last six league wins have come by a single goal. They create chances, they get themselves in front, but they leave the door ajar. The margin for error remains thin.
What has steadied them is the defense. Eight goals conceded in 10 league games, back-to-back clean sheets against Espanyol and Deportivo, and a back line that has rediscovered its old edge. It is not yet vintage Simeone, but it is trending in that direction.
And yet, this is no ordinary week.
With Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Barcelona in LaLiga looming after this match, the visit to Levante drops right in the middle of one of Atlético’s most demanding stretches of the season. Squad management is not a luxury here; it is non-negotiable.
Levante: chaos at home, cracks at the back
Levante sit 14th with 10 points from their first 10 matches. The table says mid-table uncertainty. The performances at home say something far wilder.
Luís Castro’s side have turned the Ciutat de València into a goal-fest arena. Thirteen goals scored in just four league games at home: five past Real Betis, three against Sevilla, three more against Athletic Club. When they play here, they attack with freedom and little fear.
The problem? They leak almost as many as they score.
Nineteen goals conceded in 10 league matches, 10 of those at home. The openness that makes them fun to watch also leaves them exposed. For Atlético’s forwards, this should feel like an invitation.
Álvarez will fancy it. So will Álex Baena, one of the key figures in Atlético’s recent unbeaten run, driving from midfield and finding spaces between the lines. If Simeone’s side are ever going to turn control into a statement win, this is the stage.
But Levante are not just reckless. They are dangerous.
Captain Roger Brugué is the obvious warning sign. The winger scored twice in that 3-1 win over Athletic Club and has been one of Castro’s sharpest weapons in the final third. Iván Romero and Petar Ratkov add more bite in attack, giving Levante several ways to hurt opponents.
There is also a familiar face on the other side: former Atlético defender Manu Sánchez is expected to start on the left of Levante’s back line. He knows exactly what kind of intensity is coming his way.
Simeone’s puzzle: rotation, rhythm and risk
The calendar forces Simeone into uncomfortable decisions.
Koke and Johnny Cardoso remain out with muscular injuries, working away from the group and missing again after sitting out the Deportivo win. The midfield, already a delicate area, will need careful handling.
There is at least one boost: Cristian Romero is back in full training after missing the last two matches against Stuttgart and Deportivo. The Argentine defender has been involved in preparations for Saturday and could step straight back into the starting XI. Given the aerial threat and chaos Levante can generate, his return could be timely.
In training this week, Simeone tested Marcos Llorente alongside Pablo Barrios in midfield. That tweak would push Morten Hjulmand to the bench, an intriguing call with Bayern on the horizon.
Logic suggests Hjulmand should play in Valencia. He is suspended for the Bayern match after his red card against Stuttgart, which makes Saturday his only chance to maintain rhythm. Resting him now would mean a long spell without competitive minutes, something Simeone rarely welcomes.
Up front, the options are plentiful and the temptation to rotate is obvious.
Giuliano Simeone is pushing for a return to the starting XI, while Jonathan David, Ademola Lookman, Kang-in Lee and Alexander Sørloth all wait for their chance. With Bayern and Barcelona next, Atlético cannot afford to run Álvarez and the other regulars into the ground, but they also cannot afford to treat Levante lightly. This is the balancing act.
A tricky ground and a stubborn history
Atlético’s overall record against Levante is strong: 21 wins, 8 draws, 9 defeats in LaLiga. The numbers tell one story. The Ciutat de València tells another.
This stadium has not been kind to Simeone’s men in recent years. Atlético have not won a league game here since June 2020, when a Bruno González own goal delivered a narrow 1-0 victory. Since then, the trips have been frustrating, tense, and often wasteful.
The most recent visit, in January, ended in a goalless draw that felt like two points dropped rather than one gained. Earlier that same season, Atlético had beaten Levante 3-1 at the Metropolitano, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice and an Adrián de la Fuente own goal completing the job. The contrast between home control and away struggle has been stark.
Simeone knows this is not a stadium you simply pass through.
Likely shape and the stakes
A possible Atlético XI: Oblak; Grimaldo, Hancko, Romero, Pubill; Baena, Barrios, Llorente, Giuliano; David, Álvarez.
That lineup would mix continuity with rotation, keep Atlético’s spine intact and still offer enough firepower to exploit Levante’s defensive gaps.
The expectation is goals. The prediction: 3-2 to Atlético, with Álvarez, David and Baena on the scoresheet, stretching their LaLiga winning run to seven and extending their unbeaten streak in all competitions to eight.
For some players, this is just another league game before the glamour of Bayern and Barcelona. For Simeone, it is something else entirely.
It is the kind of afternoon that often decides whether a season becomes a title race or just a story of what might have been.
