Levante Battle Back to Overcome Celta Vigo and Escape La Liga Drop Zone in Dramatic Encounter

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: May 13, 2026

Key Takeaways:

Levante defeated Celta Vigo 3-2 to secure their first away league win since January
Ferran Jutgla scored both goals for Celta, while Kervin Arriaga scored once and assisted for another Levante goal
Celta Vigo’s Champions League aspirations suffered a major setback with this result

Match Analysis

Levante gave their top-flight survival bid a vital injection of momentum last night, snapping a seven-match winless away run with a thrilling 3-2 triumph over Celta Vigo. The victory propelled Luis Castro’s side out of La Liga’s bottom three, while leaving Celta’s hopes of Champions League football for next season hanging by a thread.

Looking to step up the chase for fifth place and close in on Real Betis, Claudio Giráldez’s Celta Vigo faced a Levante side desperate for points after a string of poor results away from home in 2024.

¡FINAL! ¡FINAL! ¡FINAL!
¡FINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
EN PEU GRANOTES!!!! 🐸⚔️@RCCelta 2-3 #LevanteUD #YOCREO 💙❤️#CeltaLevanteUD pic.twitter.com/f1w2CoqqbR
— Levante UD (@LevanteUD) May 12, 2026

First-Half Drama

The home side started with intent and nearly claimed the opening goal after a flowing move finished with Mathew Ryan saving Fer Lopez’s effort. However, Celta did not have to wait long to break the deadlock. In the fifth minute, Ferran Jutgla weaved into the area and fired a precise right-footed shot into the bottom corner, handing the Galician hosts an early lead.

Despite falling behind, Levante responded positively. Kareem Tunde steered a near-post attempt wide following Pablo Martinez’s delivery, while at the other end, goalkeeper Ionut Radu was forced to deny Kervin Arriaga’s downward header.

The visitors’ pressure was eventually rewarded shortly before the interval. In the 43rd minute, Kervin Arriaga unleashed a strike from distance, and Radu misjudged its flight, deflecting the ball into his own net to draw Levante level. Buoyed by their equaliser, Levante nearly doubled their tally before half-time, as Arriaga threatened again from range but narrowly missed the target.

Momentum Shifts and Decisive Moments

Any optimism for the visitors dissipated shortly after the restart. Within three minutes of the second half, Ferran Jutgla bagged his second goal of the evening, finishing first time at the far post after connecting with Javi Rueda’s cross.

Refusing to yield, Levante again found a response. Adrian de la Fuente struck a spectacular long-range effort to stun the home supporters and make it 2-2. The turnaround was complete six minutes later, when Roger Brugue nodded home unmarked from Jon Olasagasti’s corner, granting Levante a remarkable 3-2 advantage.

Brugue nearly extended the lead, but his left-footed drive struck the crossbar instead of finding the net.

Statistical Overview

Levante’s hard-earned victory snapped a five-match winless run against Celta Vigo and marked their first league success away from home since January. The result lifted them out of the relegation zone, striking a blow to Celta’s top-four ambitions. Should Betis defeat Elche tonight, Celta will be mathematically eliminated from Champions League contention, though the prospect of a Europa League berth still remains achievable thanks to their away performances.