Castro Keeps the Faith After Barca Defeat: 'If We'd Scored First, They'd Have Had Doubts'
Levante boss Luís Castro was honest after the Camp Nou loss but isn't giving up on survival, insisting the title race goes to the final day.
Levante head coach Luís Castro refused to throw in the towel after his side were beaten at the Spotify Camp Nou — but he was candid enough to admit Barça were the better team on the day.
A Fine Margin, But Still a Defeat
Levante actually had the first real chance of the match, and Castro reckons that moment was the turning point that never turned. An early corner led to a Barça goal, and from there Levante were playing catch-up — never the ideal situation when you’re visiting one of the best sides in the country.
His view was pretty straightforward: “If we’d scored first, they’d have had doubts.” And honestly, it’s hard to argue with the logic. Barça came into this one hungry — Castro himself noted they were more focused than usual after a difficult recent run — and conceding early only made Levante’s task harder.
What Went Wrong Tactically
- Levante were pushed into a deeper defensive shape than they’d have liked
- The right side caused them more problems than the left — Castro flagged this during the game itself, pulling players aside to address it
- Cancelo, operating on that side, was clearly a handful
- An early goal from a set piece knocked the stuffing out of their game plan before it had really got going
Credit to Castro, though — he’d clearly done his homework. He said the team had worked on specific scenarios during the week that they knew were coming. The execution just wasn’t quite there when it mattered.
Survival Race: Far From Over
Levante’s league position is, let’s be honest, a bit dicey right now. But Castro isn’t having any of the doom and gloom. His message was simple: the season ends on the final matchday, not today.
He made the point that points become more valuable towards the end of the campaign — every team wants them, which makes each game a proper battle. He also acknowledged he knew what he was walking into when he took the job. No excuses, just getting on with it.
The Topics He Swerved
Castro was asked about a few things beyond the match itself:
- Eric García: Politely declined to comment — not his player, not his business
- Refereeing: Blanked it entirely, saying it wouldn’t do them any good to go there
- Vinícius: Acknowledged it was a serious matter but left it to the relevant people and institutions to handle
Fair enough on all counts, really. A manager who picks his battles is usually one worth listening to.
Bottom Line
Levante lost, Barça were better, and the gap in the table is uncomfortable. But Castro’s not the sort to start catastrophising. There’s football left to play, and if Levante can find that clinical edge they lacked at Camp Nou, they’ve still got a fighting chance.