Castro's Levante debut faces uphill battle at Sevilla's fortress
Luis Castro begins his Levante rescue mission at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán where Sevilla haven't lost to the visitors in their last eight LaLiga meetings.
New Levante manager Luis Castro faces a baptism of fire as he takes charge of LaLiga’s bottom club against a Sevilla side who’ve dominated this fixture in recent years.
Sevilla’s home comforts
Sevilla president Del Nido Carrasco hasn’t been shy about emphasizing the importance of turning the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán back into a fortress. With three home matches this January, the gaffer’s made it crystal clear that securing safety early doors is the priority.
The numbers don’t lie - Sevilla managed just four home wins in 2025. Hardly the sort of form that’ll have the Nervión faithful doing cartwheels, is it? The president wants visiting teams to feel the pressure, noting that opponents should know “we’re playing in front of our supporters and we’ll make things very complicated.”
Matías Almeyda’s squad selection headaches continue with a proper mare of injuries:
- Gabriel Suazo, Rubén Vargas and Alfon González remain sidelined
- Azpilicueta has joined the treatment room with his fourth injury of the season (calf problem)
- Isaac Romero is a doubt after recovering from a fever
- Nianzou is back training but not in the squad
Add to that the absence of Nigerian internationals Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke (Africa Cup of Nations) plus suspended Marcao, and you’ve got yourself a proper selection puzzle.
Levante’s uphill battle
Talk about a tough gig for your first day at work! Luis Castro inherits a Levante side that:
- Sits at the bottom of the table
- Hasn’t won in three months (six defeats, three draws)
- Has only managed two away victories all season
The visitors’ injury list isn’t looking much better with Unai Elgezabal, Roger Brugué and Koyalipou all out, while Álex Primo is ill and Etta Eyong is away with Cameroon. Víctor García is also a doubt after leaving training early with discomfort.
Key battle: Agoumé vs Carlos Álvarez
This should be a fascinating midfield contest. Carlos Álvarez returns to face his former club as Levante’s standout performer with two goals and an assist this season. The visitors will be banking on his creativity and vision to unlock Sevilla’s defence.
On the home side, Agoumé has established himself as a fixture in Almeyda’s midfield, being the third most-used player this season behind only Carmona and Odysseas.
With Sevilla unbeaten in their last eight LaLiga matches against Levante, including wins in the last four, Castro’s men face a proper mountain to climb. Kick-off is at 14:00 local time in what’s the first fixture of the new year for both clubs.