Spanish La Liga
BarcelonaBarcelona3LevanteLevante0

Barcelona 3-0 Levante: Teenager Ansu Fati scores on return from injury

Barcelona eased some pressure on absent manager Ronald Koeman with a comfortable La Liga victory over winless Levante at the Nou Camp.

Memphis Depay's sixth-minute penalty gave Barcelona the lead after the Dutch forward was fouled by Nemanja Radoja.

Compatriot Luuk de Jong then raced on to Sergino Dest's pass to score his first goal since joining on a season-long loan from Sevilla.

Substitute Ansu Fati hit the third on his return from a long-term injury.

Barcelona climb to fifth in La Liga and are five points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand. Real were held by Villarreal on Saturday.

The pressure had been growing on manager Koeman after two wins from five La Liga matches this season had left them well adrift of the early pacesetters.

And although Koeman was absent from the dugout on Sunday, having been dismissed for dissent in Thursday's goalless draw with Cadiz, his players had little trouble in putting an end to a three-game winless run in all competitions.

Levante failed to register a shot until the 81st minute, while Depay was thwarted by several good saves from Aitor Fernandez.

A return and goal for 18-year-old Fati - wearing Lionel Messi's number 10 shirt on his first appearance since November 2020 after undergoing knee surgery - completed a fine success.

Line-ups

Barcelona

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1ter Stegen
  • 22MinguezaSubstituted forAraujoat 81'minutes
  • 3Piqué
  • 24García
  • 2DestSubstituted forLengletat 89'minutes
  • 28González Iglesias
  • 5Busquets
  • 30GaviBooked at 24minsSubstituted forDemirat 81'minutes
  • 14CoutinhoSubstituted forPuig Martíat 59'minutes
  • 9Depay
  • 17L de JongSubstituted forAnsu Fatiat 81'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Araujo
  • 6Puig Martí
  • 10Ansu Fati
  • 11Demir
  • 13Neto
  • 15Lenglet
  • 23Umtiti
  • 26Peña Sotorres

Levante

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Fernández
  • 20Miramón
  • 15PostigoBooked at 25mins
  • 13MustafiSubstituted forSuárez Pierat 77'minutes
  • 19ClercBooked at 86mins
  • 18de FrutosSubstituted forCanteroat 69'minutes
  • 5RadojaSubstituted forMartínezat 55'minutes
  • 8GarcíaBooked at 58minsSubstituted forVukcevicat 69'minutes
  • 22Melero
  • 9Martí
  • 21Gómez AlcónSubstituted forMoralesat 55'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Hidalgo
  • 3Franquesa
  • 4Suárez Pier
  • 6Duarte
  • 7Blesa
  • 11Morales
  • 17Vukcevic
  • 23Andújar Moreno
  • 25Martínez
  • 29Cantero
  • 37Cuñat
Referee:
Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos
Attendance:
35,334

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamLevante
Possession
Home70%
Away30%
Shots
Home20
Away6
Shots on Target
Home12
Away2
Corners
Home11
Away1
Fouls
Home11
Away16

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Barcelona 3, Levante 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, Levante 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Pablo Martínez.

  4. Post update

    Attempt missed. Roger Martí (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Gonzalo Melero.

  5. Post update

    Attempt saved. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Martínez.

  6. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Riqui Puig (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ansu Fati.

  7. Goal!

    Goal! Barcelona 3, Levante 0. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.

  8. Post update

    Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  9. Post update

    Foul by José Luis Morales (Levante).

  10. Post update

    Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Nikola Vukcevic (Levante).

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Barcelona. Clément Lenglet replaces Sergiño Dest.

  13. Post update

    Ansu Fati (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  14. Post update

    Foul by José Luis Morales (Levante).

  15. Post update

    Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Rober Pier (Levante).

  17. Booking

    Carlos Clerc (Levante) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  18. Post update

    Yusuf Demir (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Carlos Clerc (Levante).

  20. Post update

    Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Sergio Postigo.

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 26th September 2021

  • BarcelonaBarcelona3LevanteLevante0
  • MallorcaMallorca2OsasunaOsasuna3
  • Rayo VallecanoRayo Vallecano3CádizCádiz1
  • Real SociedadReal Sociedad1ElcheElche0
  • Real BetisReal Betis2GetafeGetafe0

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Real Madrid75202181317
2Real Sociedad7511106416
3Sevilla6420102814
4Atl Madrid742196314
5Rayo Vallecano7412137613
6Barcelona6330115612
7Real Betis7331117412
8Valencia7322128411
9Osasuna73221011-111
10Ath Bilbao724164210
11Villarreal61506338
12Mallorca7223612-68
13Espanyol713347-36
14Cádiz7133711-46
15Elche713348-46
16Celta Vigo6114610-44
17Levante7043612-64
18Granada6033511-63
19Alavés6105211-93
20Getafe7007212-100
View full Spanish La Liga table