Key Takeaways:
- Barcelona reclaimed top position in La Liga with a 3-0 victory over Levante at home
- Frenkie de Jong netted his first goal since January 2025
- Levante suffered their fourth consecutive league defeat, remaining 19th and seven points from safety
Match Analysis
Barcelona returned to winning ways, comfortably dispatching Levante 3-0 to reclaim leadership in La Liga. Hansi Flick’s side responded emphatically following consecutive defeats – against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Girona in La Liga – a sequence which marked only their third instance of back-to-back losses under his tenure. Despite a nervy opening, where Carlos Alvarez nearly put the visitors ahead within 30 seconds, firing directly at Joan Garcia, the Catalans quickly asserted dominance.
Jules Kounde came close with an early volley before Marc Bernal capitalised in the fourth minute, stretching to meet Eric Garcia’s driven cross for his second goal across the last three fixtures. This established an early foothold for Barcelona.
THREE POINTS ✅ pic.twitter.com/UFhDbaBiau
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 22, 2026
Player Performance and Key Moments
The hosts sought to extend their lead immediately after Bernal’s opener, but Mathew Ryan produced an excellent save from Raphinha at close range, followed by Robert Lewandowski sending the rebound over. Levante responded with an opportunity of their own in the 15th minute, as Jon Ander Olasagasti failed to beat Joan Garcia after being set in behind by Ivan Romero.
Barcelona maintained their ascendancy, with Joao Cancelo almost scoring a fortuitous opener when his swinging cross struck the upright. The breakthrough arrived moments later, however, as Cancelo’s subsequent delivery was expertly met by Frenkie de Jong, whose well-timed run and volley saw him register his first goal since January 2025.
The pattern continued into the second half, Barcelona having netted 21 unanswered second-half goals at home in La Liga prior to this round. Eric Garcia narrowly missed with a header six minutes after the interval, while Alan Matturro made a pivotal intervention to deny Raphinha. Levante, struggling in attack, had a fleeting chance through Paco Cortes midway through the second period, but the substitute misfired into the side-netting after springing the offside trap.
Fermin Lopez confirmed the result nine minutes from time, powering a strike in off the post from 20 yards following a short corner routine. This took his season tally to 11 goals. Barcelona’s dominance continued to the end, with Ryan producing a spectacular double save to deny both Raphinha and Lopez late on.
Statistical Overview
| Team | Strike | Goal Scorers | League Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 3 | Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, Fermin Lopez | 1st |
| Levante | 0 | – | 19th |
Implications for the Table
Barcelona leapfrogged Real Madrid to occupy the summit of the league by a margin of one point, following their rivals’ unexpected 2-1 reversal at Osasuna on Saturday. Conversely, Levante’s woes deepened as they remained marooned in 19th place, now trailing safety by seven points after their fourth league defeat on the bounce. Notably, Levante’s record against Barcelona away from home extended to 17 consecutive La Liga losses, constituting a competition record.
