Barcelona vs Levante: La Liga Bounce Back Bid

By TALES AZZONI

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona needs to adjust its defense to stop a streak of two consecutive defeats and not fall behind the leader Real Madrid in the fight for the title The Spanish League.

The Blaugranas will host Levante on Sunday, the penultimate team in the table, after conceding six goals in their last two games. They lost 4-0 to Atlético de Madrid in the Copa del Rey, before succumbing 2-1 on Monday against Girona, a result that cost them the league lead.

Lamine Yamal missed a penalty on the visit to Girona, and Barça was two points behind Madrid after 24 games.

Hansi Flick’s team had not conceded more than one goal in their previous five games in all competitions.

“We have to improve,” declared Barça central defender Pau Cubarsí. “We can’t concede these goals. We played a bad game (against Girona), we lacked everything. We have to be self-critical and get our act together.”

Levante has not scored in three of its last four league games and has just one win in its last seven games. They lost at home 1-0 to Villarreal on Wednesday, in a match postponed from last year due to heavy rain in the Valencia region.

Key matchups

Leader Madrid visits mid-table Osasuna on Saturday, hoping to build on its 1-0 victory over Benfica on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.

The meringues have won seven of their last eight games in all competitions, with their only setback being a 4-2 loss to Benfica on the final day of the Champions League phase in January.

Osasuna has lost two of its last three league games.

Atlético de Madrid, fourth in the standings, hosts Espanyol on Saturday looking to end a three-game winless streak in La Liga. It comes after drawing 3-3 at Club Brugge in the Champions League, wasting a two-goal lead.

Espanyol has not won in seven consecutive league games, with five losses and two draws.

Atlético is three points behind third-placed Villarreal, which hosts Valencia on Sunday.

Casualties

Midfielder Pedri and forward Marcus Rashford have returned to training after their injuries and could be available for Barcelona against Levante. Pedri suffered a muscle injury and Rashford has a knee problem.

It remained unclear whether Rodrygo (hamstring) would return to Madrid for their match in Osasuna. Nico Williams is out with a groin injury and will miss Athletic Bilbao’s home game against Elche.

Off the field

Much of the attention ahead of Madrid’s match against Osasuna has focused on Vinícius Júnior, who accused Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a “monkey” in the Champions League match in Lisbon. Madrid reported on Thursday that it sent UEFA “all available evidence” of the alleged racist insult by the Argentine Benfica player.

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