Levante UD Leaves Empty-Handed after a Controversial Finish
Levante UD returned to Valencia with the feeling of having played a complete match against a tough opponent in a challenging stadium, but with frustration for not being able to reflect those aspects in the final result after some controversial final minutes. Levante players and coaches claimed a handball in the RCD Espanyol's penalty area that was not called, and immediately after, a penalty in the Levante UD area was enough for the three points to stay at the Stage Front Stadium.
The home team quickly took the lead in the match. Two minutes into the game, Braithwaite put them ahead on the scoreboard. Levante UD immediately recovered from this early setback and, with ball possession, became the dominant force in the game. Javi Calleja's team sought ways to reach the opponent's goal dangerously, attempting shots such as Álex Valle's that resulted in a corner, a Dani Gómez header that went high, and a shot from inside the box by Pablo Martínez that was caught by the goalkeeper.
After the break, RCD Espanyol tried to repeat the same script from the first half and looked for a quick goal after the initial whistle. Andrés Fernández intervened to prevent what could have been the second for the home team after a Braithwaite header. The Granotas' response came immediately from a set piece. Pablo Martínez took a corner, and Dela rose to send the ball into the net, scoring his first goal. The equalizer boosted the confidence of the blue and red, who saw the reward for their efforts. Not content, they went for more. The Valencians tried their luck with a shot from Iván Romero saved by the goalkeeper, a good combination between Álex Valle, Iván Romero, and Carlos Álvarez stopped by Pacheco, a shot from Andrés García that ended up in the goalkeeper's hands, and a shot from Dani Gómez that also met Pacheco.
In injury time, Levante players, coaches, and fans in the stadium claimed a handball by Keita Balde in the home team's penalty area, but play continued, and beyond injury time, the referee pointed to the penalty spot in favor of RCD Espanyol. Braithwaite was responsible for scoring from the penalty spot, preventing Levante UD from adding points to their tally.
