PREVIEW: Levante v FC Barcelona

Another test for Xavi's Barça side comes in the form of an away trip to Levante in La Liga. The blaugranes will be looking to follow up last weekend's win at home to Sevilla in the league and the draw in the first leg of the Europa League quarter final away from home against Eintracht Frankfurt with another positive result. 

The blaugranes will be looking for a seventh straight win in La Liga, a run that has seen them defeat the likes of Athletic Club, Real Madrid and Sevilla amongst others. Barça need a win to move back to second place in the table following Sevilla's 4-2 win over Granada on Friday which placed Julen Lopetegui's side back ahead of Xavi's team albeit having played two games more. 

Levante, under third coach of the season Alessio Lisci, are battling relegation but they have won three of their last seven games, including wins against Atlético Madrid and Villarreal. They are undefeated in their last three games at the Ciutat de València stadium, nevertheless, los granotas are still second to bottom in the table seven points from safety after their disastrous first half of the campaign. 

Team news 

Sergiño Dest, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Memphis and Samuel Umtiti are all still out injured and Gerard Piqué has been added to that lost after he picked up a groin strain in the 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. The good news for Barça is that Luuk de Jong is back in the 21 man squad named on Saturday after recovering from Covid-19. 

Xavi says 

The Barça coach wants no let up from his side after 14 games without defeat in all competitions with Levante away from home a test to be compared with last Thursday's trip to Frankfurt in the Europa League: