Barcelona Stages Dramatic Comeback Against Levante in La Liga Clash
In a thrilling match on Saturday, defending champions Barcelona rallied from a two-goal deficit to secure a spectacular 3-2 victory over newly promoted Levante in La Liga.
Levant took an unexpected lead into halftime, thanks to a counterattack goal from Ivan Romero in the 15th minute and a penalty conversion by José Luis Morales during stoppage time, leaving Barcelona stunned at 0-2.
However, the tide turned just after the break. Pedri González sparked the comeback with a stunning long-range effort in the 49th minute, after receiving a pass from Lamine Yamal. Ferran Torres quickly followed suit, leveling the score at 2-2 just three minutes later by volleying in a corner from Raphinha.
The decisive moment came when Yamal delivered a perfectly curled cross into the box, resulting in an own goal from Levante’s Unai Elgezabal just as the clock edged past 90 minutes.
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, expressed his admiration for Pedri, stating, "His goal transformed the game. It instilled confidence in us, but the battle for the points remained challenging until the end."
This victory comes on the heels of Barcelona’s 3-0 triumph against Mallorca, who played with nine men, marking a strong start to their title defense in the 2025 season.
Newly signed Marcus Rashford made his first league start for Barcelona, taking the left-wing position before being substituted by Dani Olmo at halftime. Flick noted Rashford’s potential and contributions during the match.
Barcelona will next face Rayo Vallecano, as Levante, still looking for their first points, will head to Elche seeking redemption.
Ferran Torres scores for Barcelona against Levante [David Ramirez/Soccrates via Getty Images]
Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, plays his first match for Barcelona [Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images]