Levante vs Atletico Madrid: Lookman to end dry spell – Preview, team news, predictions & H2H

Ademola Lookman will again have to fight for his place in the Atlético Madrid squad when the Spanish side travel to the Estadio Ciudad de València to face Levante on Saturday.

The Nigerian has not forced his way into Diego Simeone’s starting XI in recent weeks, and with Atlético riding a six-match league winning streak into this one, the manager has little reason to change a side that has not lost since early September.

Atlético arrive in Valencia sitting second in La Liga, only two points behind leaders Barcelona after the Catalan giants’ shock defeat in El Clásico blew the title race wide open again.

Levante, by contrast, sit 14th on 10 points from 10 matches (2W 4D 4L), just two points above the relegation zone.

Diego Simeone’s side are heavy favourites on paper, but Luís Castro’s men have scored in each of their last five league games and will fancy their chances of troubling a defence that has conceded goals in two of their last five games.

Match Radar: Levante vs Atletico Madrid

⚽ Levante vs Atlético Madrid
Competition	La Liga, Matchday 11
Kickoff	Saturday, October 31, 2026 — 2:00pm WAT (1:00pm GMT)
Venue	Estadi Ciutat de València, Valencia
Where to Watch	SuperSport La Liga (DStv/GOtv)
🇳🇬 Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is in the squad but expected to start from the bench as Atlético look for a seventh straight league win.

Levante vs Atletico Madrid: Form and Title race context

Atlético have won six straight league matches since a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club in early September, beating Real Sociedad, Osasuna, Real Madrid, Alavés, Espanyol and Deportivo A Coruña along the way without conceding more than once in any of those games.

Their 25 points from 10 matches is their joint-third-best start to a league season since 1997/98, a run built on a defence that has shipped only two goals in its last five matches.

Levante have travelled the opposite road. Luís Castro’s side have managed only two wins from 10 league matches this season, including a 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad last weekend in which 18-year-old Nacho Pérez became the youngest player in Levante’s history to score in the Primera División.

The Frogs have still found the net in each of their last five league games, and Dani Requena has nailed down a starting midfield berth after three impressive performances in a row.

Head-to-Head: Levante vs Atletico Madrid

Atlético Madrid have won 23 of the 41 meetings between these two clubs across all competitions, with Levante winning 10 and eight matches drawn.

The visitors have not lost at the Ciudad de València since a 2-1 defeat in May 2016, a run stretching back nine years, though Levante’s last three home league meetings with Atlético have all finished level.

Levante’s only win over Atlético anywhere in recent seasons came away at the Metropolitano in February 2022, a reminder that Castro’s side are not entirely without the capacity to cause an upset.

Team News and Predicted Lineups

Levante

Levante will again be without Enzo Bardeli, who continues to nurse a hamstring issue, while centre back Adrián de la Fuente remains a doubt after missing last weekend’s trip to San Sebastián.

Roger Brugué, the club’s top scorer, trained fully this week after he was withdrawn at half-time against Real Sociedad as a precaution and is available to start.

Atletico Madrid

Atlético will be without captain Koke and midfielder Johnny Cardoso, both sidelined with muscle injuries, while Cristian Romero has returned to full training but remains a game-time decision as the club manages his recovery ahead of fixtures against Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Levante	Atlético Madrid
Enzo Bardeli — OUT (hamstring) Adrián de la Fuente — DOUBT (knock)	Koke — OUT (hamstring) Johnny Cardoso — OUT (thigh) Cristian Romero — DOUBT (adductor, training resumed)

Star Player Comparison: Roger Brugué vs Álex Baena

Roger Brugué Forward · Levante	Stat	Álex Baena Midfielder · Atlético Madrid
5	Goals	5
1	Assists	2
6	Goals + Assists	7
7.19	Season rating	7.50

The Dugout: Luís Castro vs Diego Simeone

Luís Castro took over at Levante last December and dragged the club clear of relegation trouble on the final day, sticking since then to an attacking approach that explains both the goals his side scores and the ones it keeps conceding.

Diego Simeone has been in the Atlético hot seat for well over a decade and has the club back in the title picture after a sluggish start to the campaign, with a win here stretching his side’s unbeaten run to seven matches in the league.

Tactical Preview: Can Levante’s Press Trouble Atlético?

Levante’s pressing game under Castro is high-risk, high-reward. It generates turnovers in good areas but leaves the back four exposed whenever it is bypassed, which is a large part of why this is a team that both scores freely and defends poorly.

Cristian Romero’s fitness doubt matters here, since his physical presence is central to how Atlético control the middle of the pitch, and his absence would open a route for Iván Romero and Petar Ratkov to run at on the break.

Even so, Pablo Barrios and Morten Hjulmand give Simeone’s side a settled double pivot, and with Baena floating between the lines, Atlético have more than enough craft to punish Levante if the hosts push too many bodies forward without cover.

The Naija Slip: Levante vs Atletico Madrid tips

Score Prediction: Levante vs Atletico Madrid

🔮 Levante 1-2 Atlético Madrid

Atlético’s class should tell in the end, though Levante’s run of scoring in every match this month means a clean sheet looks unlikely either way. Likely scorers: Julián Álvarez, Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid); Iván Romero (Levante).