LaLiga 26/27 · Round 9 ·
RC Deportivo de A Coruna vs Levante UD preview: Deportivo host Levante with both sides searching for a win
Deportivo welcome Levante to Riazor with both sides winless in their last four league matches. The home side's attack is missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has scored 42% of their goals this season, leaving a thin margin for a side that has not kept a clean sheet.
By 10xSharp · Published
This preview was published before kickoff. The match has finished: see the result and full stats. Read the match report.
Aubameyang absence leaves Deportivo short
Deportivo are without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, their leading scorer, who is out with an injury. The forward has scored 5 goals, 42% of the side's goals in this competition, and his absence removes the team's most reliable finisher. Marc Casado is also unavailable with an injury, further thinning the midfield options. Levante have two midfielders out, Hugo Sotelo and Karl Etta, both with injuries. Karl Etta had contributed one assist this season, but the away side's attack is less dependent on any single player.
Where the goals come from
With Aubameyang unavailable, Deportivo's next leading scorer is Zakaria Eddahchouri with 1 goal from 4 matches. Luismi Cruz has 2 assists and remains available to create chances. Levante's attack is more spread across the squad. Ivan Romero de Avila Araque and Brugue have each scored 3 goals this season, with Adrian De La Fuente adding 2. Jeremy Toljan has 1 assist and is available, giving Levante a slightly deeper set of contributors for this match.
Both sides stuck in a rut
Deportivo have taken 8 points from their last six league matches, with a record of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. Levante have managed 6 points from the same window, with 1 win, 3 draws and 2 losses. Deportivo are winless in their last six matches in all competitions, while Levante are winless in their last four. Deportivo have had 5.2 days since their last match, Levante 4.0 days, a small edge in rest for the home side.
Deportivo hold the higher position
Deportivo sit 8th with 10 points, while Levante are 17th with 6 points. At home, Deportivo have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 1, with a goal difference of +1. Levante's away record is weaker: no wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, with a goal difference of -5. The home side's position and venue record give them a clear edge in the table, but their inability to turn draws into wins has kept them from climbing higher.
Recent meetings favour Levante
Across the last 10 meetings, Deportivo have won 3, Levante have won 3, and there have been 4 draws. The goal difference is 15-12 in Deportivo's favour. In the 5 meetings at this ground, Deportivo have won 2, Levante have won 2, with 1 draw, and both teams have scored 7 goals each. The most recent meeting was a 2-1 Levante win, but it was not a league match. Levante have won 2 of the last 5 meetings, giving them a slight recent edge.
Deportivo's home edge is clear
Deportivo score 1.2 goals per home match, which is worse than the league average for a home side at home, a clear gap. Levante score 0.2 goals per away match, a large gap below the league average for an away side on the road. The attack edge favours Deportivo by a large margin. Deportivo's home scoring rate is also below their own season average of 1.5 goals per match, while Levante's away rate is far below their season average of 1.6.
Deportivo slightly tighter at the back
Deportivo concede 1.0 goals per home match, which is better than the league average conceded by a home side at home, a marginal edge. Levante concede 1.5 goals per away match, also better than the league average conceded by an away side on the road, but only marginally. The defence edge favours Deportivo, but only marginally. Deportivo have not kept a clean sheet at home this season, while Levante have kept 2 clean sheets away from home.
Deportivo test the keeper more
Deportivo average 4.5 shots on target per match, compared with Levante's 4.0. Levante see more of their shots blocked, averaging 2.14 blocked shots per match against Deportivo's 1.88. Deportivo also hold more possession, 48.13% against Levante's 44.43%. The home side's higher shot volume and possession suggest they are more likely to create clear chances, though neither side is especially clinical.
Late goals are the pattern
Deportivo score 33% of their goals between minutes 76-90, their most dangerous spell. Levante score 45% of their goals in the same window, an even stronger late-game tendency. Deportivo concede most often between minutes 16-30 and 31-45, with 27% of goals against in each of those windows. Levante concede 27% of their goals in each of 76-90 and 31-45. Both sides are vulnerable late, but Levante's scoring is more concentrated in the final 15 minutes.
Levante's matches trend higher
Across all matches this season, 71% of Levante's matches have gone over 2.5 goals, compared with 38% for Deportivo. Levante's home matches are the higher-scoring ones, with 100% of their home matches going over 2.5 goals against 50% of their away matches. Deportivo's home matches have gone over 2.5 goals in 25% of cases. The two sides produce very different goal environments, with Levante's matches far more likely to be open.
A low-scoring home edge
Deportivo's home record and Levante's poor away attack point to a home advantage, but the absence of Aubameyang removes the home side's main goal threat. Levante's away matches have been low-scoring, with only 0.2 goals per away match, while Deportivo have not kept a clean sheet at home. The most likely shape is a tight match with few clear chances. Deportivo's late scoring and Levante's late vulnerability could decide it, but neither side is in form.