AFC Bournemouth face Levante in their second fixture of the club's 2018/19 pre-season schedule. Here's the lowdown on our second La Liga opponents.
Overview
Full name: Levante Union Deportiva SAD
Head coach: Paco Lopez
Kit colours: Red and blue (home), black and white (away), pink (third)
Home ground: Ciutat de Valencia
Capacity: 26,354
2017/18 season
La Liga: 15th
Copa del Rey: Round of 16
Expert view
Levante returned to La Liga last season after spending just one year in Segunda. Initially, things were going according to plan, but a dreadful slump a few months into the campaign saw Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz sacked and replaced by B team coach Paco Lopez.
Under their second coach of the campaign, Levante rallied to avoid the relegation battle and take seven wins from their last nine games of the season, but a lack of goals from their striking options is a real worry for them.
The Valencia-based club will look to play on the break, with a well protected pair of centre backs. Earlier in the season, they had been caught high at times and lacking for a yard of pace, but by sitting a little deeper and relying on their quality and pace on the ball to pick their moments to take risks, they got their rewards.
The atmosphere in the dressing room was a huge positive under Lopez and the club have already moved to tie down Coke and Ruben Rochina permanently for the coming campaign.
Jose Luis Morales is the club captain and stuck with the club despite their relegation a couple of years ago. He is a pacy winger, but can also play up top, with his tireless running a key facet of Levante's attacking play.
Morales can carry the ball at a frightening speed and chipped in with 10 league goals in 2017/18.
Enis Bardhi is another man to watch, with the young Macedonian midfielder a deadly threat from set pieces.
Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball), La Liga expert for FourFourTwo, WhoScored and more.
