Castro's revolution fails to halt Levante's 'black February' slide
Levante's woes continue as seven changes to the starting XI can't prevent a third consecutive defeat, leaving them seven points adrift of safety.
Despite a radical overhaul of the starting lineup, Levante’s February nightmare shows no signs of ending as they slump to yet another defeat, leaving fans increasingly pessimistic about their survival prospects.
Castro rolls the dice
Luís Castro decided enough was proper Adam and Eve, making a whopping seven changes to his side following Sunday’s derby defeat to Valencia. The Portuguese gaffer clearly felt a shake-up was needed, and he wasn’t half shy about it.
The revolution saw Pampín, Olasagasti, Raghouber, Víctor García, Toljan, Carlos Espí and Paco Cortés all drafted into the starting XI. For academy products Espí and Cortés, this represented their first ever starts for the first team in La Liga - a significant milestone somewhat overshadowed by the team’s struggles.
Three on the bounce
Despite Castro’s bold selection gamble, Levante slumped to their third consecutive defeat in what’s rapidly becoming a February to forget:
- Athletic Club 4-2 Levante (San Mamés)
- Levante 0-2 Valencia (derby disappointment)
- Levante 0-1 Villarreal (latest setback)
The defeat against Villarreal at the Ciutat de Valencia was particularly gutting for the home support, who’ve now seen their team slip further into the relegation quagmire.
Relegation reality
The numbers make for grim reading for the Orriols outfit. Levante now find themselves:
- Second from bottom in the table
- On just 18 points
- Seven points from safety (currently Rayo Vallecano, who have a game in hand)
That seven-point gap essentially means Levante need to win at least three more matches than their relegation rivals in the remaining fixtures - a tall order given their current form.
For Castro, the question becomes whether this revolution was a one-off desperate roll of the dice or the beginning of a new approach. Either way, something needs to change sharpish if Levante are to have any chance of maintaining their top-flight status.