LaLiga: Villarreal Beat Levante to Edge Closer to Third

Villarreal secure vital win over struggling Levante

Georges Mikautadze scores the winner as Villarreal win at Levante, who face a tough trip to Barcelona next. Villarreal beat Levante 1-0, moving up in LaLiga's top four and leaving Levante seven points adrift of safety.

Levante couldn't find an equaliser, leaving them stuck in a tough spot in LaLiga...

Villarreal moved up in the LaLiga standings with a 1-0 win over Levante, solidifying their spot in the top four. This win puts them ahead in the battle for third place, particularly with Atletico Madrid's recent struggles.

Levante, currently 19th in the table, made a strong start with seven changes to their lineup, pushing Villarreal hard in the first 15 minutes. Despite their efforts, Villarreal managed to secure the win.

The game lacked goalmouth action, with Diego Pampin's lone half-chance for the hosts highlighting the scarcity of opportunities. Pape Gueye and Alberto Moleiro tried to push for more from the visitors, but Levante's low-block defence successfully snuffed out the Yellow Submarine's attacks.

Villarreal's attack picked up pace, with Pau Navarro's first shot on the 28th minute flying wide. A minute later, Moleiro's header hit the post, and Ayoze Perez gave the visitors their first shot on target just before half-time.

The match at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia was low-key, with a lack of excitement keeping the crowd quiet.

Gueye let fly from distance just after the break, before Luiz Junior flew to his right to stop Paco Cortes’ superb effort at the other end.

Levante increased their intensity as the decibel levels in the stands rose accordingly, but that sparked Villarreal into life and, as home goalkeeper Mathew Ryan went walkabout, Georges Mikautadze slammed home the opener.

Levante pushed hard for an equaliser, even appealing for a late penalty when Karl Etta Eyong went down, but it wasn't to be. Villarreal had a chance to seal it, but Georges Mikautadze's shot was cleared off the line by Adrian de la Fuente.

Levante couldn't find an equaliser, leaving them stuck in a tough spot in LaLiga – seven points adrift of safety. Things get tougher next up, with a trip to Barcelona, who are title challengers.

A win on the road!#LevanteUDVillarreal pic.twitter.com/8L9wtzbkFf

— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) February 18, 2026

Villarreal's win puts them seven points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis, bouncing back strong from their weekend defeat to Getafe. They're holding their ground in the UEFA Champions League qualification race.