Real Madrid vs Levante — Match Preview
Crisis talks might be brewing at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid host Levante on Sunday, 18 January 2026. Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos are reeling from a disastrous week, having lost the Supercopa de España final to Barcelona (2–3) and suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey elimination against Albacete (2–3) just days ago. Sitting 2nd in La Liga with 45 points, they cannot afford another slip-up if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
They face a Levante side that is fighting for its life but showing signs of resurgence. Despite sitting 19th in the relegation zone with 14 points, the Granotas are unbeaten in their last three league matches, including a shocking 3–0 away win at Sevilla and a gritty draw against Real Sociedad. Levante will arrive in the capital knowing Madrid are wounded and vulnerable defensively.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Match Info
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 20)
- Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid (Capacity: 83,186)
- Date: Sunday, 18 January 2026
- Kickoff: 21:00 CET | 20:00 GMT | 15:00 ET
- Referee: TBC (RFEF Appointment)
Real Madrid vs Levante — Match Stakes
Real Madrid (2nd — 45 pts):
- Win → Moves to 48 pts; stops the rot after two consecutive cup defeats and stabilizes the atmosphere.
- Draw → A disaster at home vs 19th place; fans will turn on the team.
- Loss → Full-blown crisis; three losses in a row would be unthinkable for this squad.
Levante (19th — 14 pts):
- Win → Moves to 17 pts; could potentially climb out of the relegation zone depending on other results.
- Draw → A “golden point” at the Bernabéu; keeps their unbeaten league run alive.
- Loss → Expected, but keeps them deep in the drop zone.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Team News
Real Madrid:
- Diaz B. — Out (International Duty – Morocco)
- Eder Militao — Out (Hamstring Injury – Defensive Leader Missing)
- Rudiger A. — Questionable (Knee Injury)
- Alexander-Arnold T. — Questionable (Thigh Injury)
- Mendy F. — Questionable (Calf Injury)
- Defensive Crisis: With Militao out and Rudiger doubtful, Ancelotti may be forced to start the young pairing of Raul Asencio and Dean Huijsen, or drop Tchouameni back.
- Full Power Attack: The “BMV” trio (Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius) plus Rodrygo will all start as Ancelotti demands goals to silence the critics.
Levante:
- Brugue R. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Elgezabal U. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Garcia V. — Out (Injury)
- Mathew Ryan — The Australian goalkeeper will need a Man of the Match performance to stop Madrid’s Galacticos.
- Ivan Romero — Leads the line hoping to exploit Madrid’s fragile backline on the counter.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Real Madrid
- 15/01 — 2–3 vs Albacete (Copa del Rey) ❌
- 12/01 — 2–3 vs Barcelona (Supercopa Final) ❌
- 09/01 — 2–1 vs Atl. Madrid (Supercopa Semi) ✅
- 04/01 — 5–1 vs Real Betis (La Liga) ✅
- 21/12 — 2–0 vs Sevilla (La Liga) ✅
Levante
- 11/01 — 1–1 vs Espanyol (La Liga) ➖
- 04/01 — 3–0 vs Sevilla (La Liga) ✅
- 20/12 — 1–1 vs Real Sociedad (La Liga) ➖
- 17/12 — 0–1 vs Cultural Leonesa (Copa del Rey) ❌
- 09/12 — 0–2 vs Osasuna (La Liga) ❌
Real Madrid vs Levante — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 24/09/2025 — Levante 1–4 Real Madrid (La Liga)
- 13/05/2022 — Real Madrid 6–0 Levante (La Liga)
- 23/08/2021 — Levante 3–3 Real Madrid (La Liga)
- 30/01/2021 — Real Madrid 1–2 Levante (La Liga)
- 04/10/2020 — Levante 0–2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
Real Madrid vs Levante — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Courtois; Carvajal, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe
Levante (5-4-1)
Ryan; Toljan, Dela, Moreno, Arriaga, Pampin; Tunde, Martinez, Alvarez, Losada; Romero
Real Madrid vs Levante — Impact Bench
Real Madrid: Endrick (Energy), Camavinga (Control), Güler (Creativity)
Levante: Morales (Legend/Experience), Fabricio (Speed)
Real Madrid vs Levante — Tactical Analysis
Real Madrid
The Blancos are angry. Expect a furious start. They will commit huge numbers forward, with Valverde and Bellingham crashing the box. However, their high line is a risk. Without Militao’s recovery pace, they are vulnerable to long balls over the top. The key will be Vinicius Jr vs Jeremy Toljan on the flank; if Vini wins that duel, the floodgates could open.
Levante
Levante have found success recently by being compact and clinical (3 goals vs Sevilla). They will likely play a 5-man backline to clog the spaces Mbappe loves. Pablo Martinez will be crucial in midfield to break up play and launch Ivan Romero or Carlos Alvarez on the break. If they can survive the first 20 minutes, the Bernabéu crowd might start whistling, playing into Levante’s hands.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Key Battles
- Mbappe vs Dela — The world’s best forward vs a journeyman defender.
- Vinicius Jr vs Toljan — Speed vs Speed on the wing.
- Bellingham vs Arriaga — Can the midfielder stop Bellingham’s late runs?
- Courtois vs Romero — Real’s keeper needs to stay focused despite likely inactivity for long periods.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Spotlight Players
Real Madrid — Kylian Mbappe
He has scored plenty, but in the big losses recently, he was criticized. He needs a statement performance to show he can lead this team when the chips are down.
Levante — Mathew Ryan
The former Brighton and Valencia keeper is experienced. He knows playing at the Bernabéu is a shooting gallery. If he makes 2-3 world-class saves early on, he could frustrate the hosts.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Prediction
Real Madrid 4–1 Levante
Despite the recent “crisis” results, Real Madrid at home against 19th place is usually a mismatch. Madrid will be desperate to make a point and unleash their frustration on Levante. While Levante might nick a goal due to Madrid’s defensive injuries, the attacking firepower of the hosts should secure a comfortable and high-scoring victory.
Real Madrid vs Levante — Betting Insights
- Real Madrid to Win & Over 3.5 Goals — High Probability.
- Kylian Mbappe to Score 2+ Goals — Likely (He will be hungry).
- Both Teams to Score — YES (Madrid’s defense is makeshift).
Real Madrid vs Levante — Where to Watch
- Spain: DAZN LaLiga / Movistar+
- USA: ESPN+
- UK: Premier Sports / LaLigaTV
Real Madrid vs Levante — FAQs
Q: When is the Real Madrid vs Levante match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at 21:00 CET.
Q: Is Eder Militao playing?
A: No. He is out with a hamstring injury.
Q: Did Real Madrid just lose to Albacete?
A: Yes. They suffered a shock 2–3 defeat in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, 15 January.
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