La Liga rivals Levante and Espanyol meet in their second leg of the Copa del Rey round of 16 tie on Thursday, with the home side going into the match as favourites to reach the next stage of the competition after earning a narrow 2-1 victory away from home last time around. However, with little separating the duo, many are predicting a close encounter in Valencia.
Spanish Copa del Rey – Levante v Espanyol – Estadi Ciutat de València, Valencia – Thursday 11th January – 18:30 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 21/10 at Skybet |
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Levante
EspanyolMatch Preview
Levante host Espanyol in the Copa del Rey this week, with the duo both hoping to ensure that they are in the draw for the quarter finals of the competition with a win. Despite the duo both struggling in La Liga, the tie offers a welcome distraction for both, with managers Juan Ramón López Muñiz and Quique Sánchez Flores going head-to-head once more. For those still unsure of who to back at the bookies this weekend, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as our top betting tip.
Levante Team News & Form
Levante come into the clash off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Barcelona at the Camp Nou, meaning that their run without a win in the Spanish top-flight has now extended to five. Muniz’s men have only won three times in La Liga all season, however their success against Espanyol last week offers them hope at the start of the new year. The likes of Cheick Doukoure and Jason are among their most talented players, however Muniz could well name a rotated line-up on Thursday. Levante have struggled in front of goal, with the pressure on attackers Roger Marti and Samuel Garcia to start delivering in the final third.
Espanyol Team News & Form
Espanyol earned an important 1-0 away win over Malaga away from home over thee weekend, their second successive La Liga victory. The result lifted them to 14th in the standings, with manager Flores now looking to inspire a Copa del Rey comeback this week. The likes of Sergio Garcia, Esteban Granero and Gerard Moreno could once again line-up for the visitors, who must score at least once if they are to have a chance of being in the draw for the quarter finals of the competition.
Head to Head
The two teams have met 22 times in the past, with both teams currently having seven wins to their name, as well as eight draws in this time. The last time the duo met at Levante’s home stadium before last week was back in 2016, where the hosts registered a narrow 2-1 victory in La Liga.
Levante v Espanyol – Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their encounter last week, it perhaps comes as little surprise the duo are offered similar odds ahead of kick-off with the majority of bookmakers. In fact, the two teams are both offered odds of 7/4, whilst a draw can be backed at 21/10.
Top Betting Tip Levante v Espanyol
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams to score during the 90 minutes, which can be found at best odds of 1/1 with William Hill.