Levante vs Mallorca: Crucial Relegation Battle in La Liga

Levante host Mallorca at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia in La Liga on 17 May 2026, with both clubs fighting for their lives near the bottom. The stakes are brutally simple: 18th and 19th, level on 39 points, both currently in the relegation zone. With only two matches left in the regular season (this is Round 37), this head‑to‑head could all but decide who clings to a survival chance and who is staring at LaLiga2.

Context: Two teams, one trapdoor

In the league, Mallorca sit 18th with 39 points and a goal difference of -11, just ahead of Levante in 19th, also on 39 points but with a worse goal difference of -15. Both sides share an identical overall record across all phases: 10 wins, 9 draws, 17 defeats, and 44 goals scored. The margins are razor-thin, but there are key structural differences.

Levante’s profile is of a team that has leaked goals all season. Across all phases they have conceded 59 (1.6 per game), including 28 at home in 18 matches (1.6 per game). Their home record is 6 wins, 5 draws, 7 defeats, with 24 goals scored at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia and 28 conceded.

Mallorca, by contrast, are clearly stronger at home than away. In the league they have 8 wins, 6 draws and only 4 defeats at Son Moix, scoring 28 and conceding 21. But away from home they have been among the worst in La Liga: just 2 wins, 3 draws and 13 defeats, with 16 goals scored and 34 conceded on the road (1.9 against per away game).

Form-wise, Levante arrive in better shape. Their listed league form is “WWLDW”, suggesting three wins in the last five. Mallorca’s is “LDWLD”, a more fragile sequence with just one win in the last five. Over the broader season form strings, Levante’s long run is streaky but finishes with several wins (“…WDDWLWW”), while Mallorca’s includes repeated losses (“…LLLWDLWDL”). Momentum, such as it is at this stage, tilts slightly towards the hosts.

Tactical tendencies and shapes

Levante have been tactically flexible but with a clear core identity. Their most used formations across all phases are 4-2-3-1 (11 matches), 4-4-2 (10) and 4-1-4-1 (8). That points to a side that usually sets up with a back four and either a double pivot or a single holding midfielder, depending on the opponent. At home in a must‑win relegation battle, a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 seems most likely, giving them enough numbers between the lines to press Mallorca’s build-up while still offering two or three advanced attacking lanes.

Levante’s season numbers underline the balance they have struggled to find. They average 1.2 goals for and 1.6 against per match across all phases, with 8 clean sheets and 12 games in which they failed to score. Their biggest home win was 4-2, but they have also lost 1-4 at home, and their heaviest away defeat was 5-1. This volatility suggests that when they open up, games can become chaotic.

Mallorca, underpinned by a more stable structure, lean heavily on 4-2-3-1 as well (20 matches), with 4-3-1-2 (7) and 5-3-2 (4) used as alternatives. Away from home in a high-pressure fixture, a more conservative 4-2-3-1 or even 5-3-2 is plausible, seeking to protect a shaky away defence (34 conceded in 18) while leaving room to play on the break.

Their season profile is slightly more balanced than Levante’s: 1.2 goals for and 1.5 against per match across all phases, 5 clean sheets and 8 games without scoring. Their biggest away win was 1-3, but they have also lost 3-0 on their travels, underlining that they can be pulled apart if forced to defend their box for long spells.

Discipline could matter in a tense relegation shootout. Levante’s yellow-card distribution is heaviest late in games (76–90 minutes is their peak period), which could be dangerous if they are chasing the match. Mallorca pick up many yellows between 46–60 minutes, often as the second half opens. Both sides have seen multiple red cards in the 16–60 and 31–75 ranges, so composure will be as important as tactics.

Key absences and selection headaches

Both squads are heavily affected by absences.

For Levante, C. Alvarez, U. Elgezabal, A. Primo and U. Vencedor are all listed as missing for this fixture. Alvarez and Primo are out with injuries, Elgezabal with a knee injury, and Vencedor is unavailable by coach’s decision. That hits Levante’s depth in central areas and potentially their defensive rotations, limiting options if they want to switch between back four and back five mid‑game.

Mallorca are even more stretched. L. Bergstrom, M. Joseph, J. Kalumba, M. Kumbulla, A. Raillo and J. Salas are all unavailable through various injuries, including several knee and muscle issues. O. Mascarell is suspended due to yellow cards. The absence of Raillo in particular weakens the defensive leadership, while Mascarell’s suspension strips control from central midfield. With a poor away record already, losing key spine players makes Mallorca’s task significantly harder.

Star power: Vedat Muriqi’s burden

The standout individual in this fixture is Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi. The Kosovo striker is having a superb season in La Liga: 22 goals and 1 assist in 35 appearances, with an average rating of 7.09. He has taken 86 shots, 47 on target, and is central to everything Mallorca do in the final third. His duel numbers (425 total, 219 won) underline how often he is the focal point for long balls and direct play, while 61 fouls drawn show how frequently he wins set pieces.

From the penalty spot, Muriqi has scored 5 but missed 2 this season, so while he is prolific, his record is not flawless. In a match that could hinge on fine margins, that detail matters.

Without broader top‑scorer data for Levante, we cannot highlight a single comparable talisman, but their goals-for tally of 44 across all phases suggests contributions spread across the frontline. Their biggest wins (4-2 at home, 0-4 away) indicate they can score in bursts when their attacking structure clicks.

Head-to-head: recent balance

Looking strictly at competitive meetings (excluding friendlies), the last four La Liga clashes between these sides read:

• 26 October 2025 at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix: Mallorca 1-1 Levante (draw).
• 8 January 2022 at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia: Levante 2-0 Mallorca (Levante win).
• 2 October 2021 at Iberostar Estadi: Mallorca 1-0 Levante (Mallorca win).
• 9 July 2020 at Iberostar Estadi: Mallorca 2-0 Levante (Mallorca win).

Over these four competitive matches, Mallorca have 2 wins, Levante 1 win, and there has been 1 draw. Levante’s last home league meeting with Mallorca was positive (2-0 in January 2022), but overall the recent La Liga record slightly favours the islanders.

The fifth most recent meeting in the dataset, a 2-1 Levante win at Pinatar Arena in August 2020, was a club friendly and is therefore excluded from competitive head-to-head counting.

Penalties and pressure

From a team perspective across all phases, Levante have been awarded 2 penalties and scored both (2/2), while Mallorca have 5 penalties and have converted all 5 (5/5). However, at individual level, Muriqi has 5 scored and 2 missed, which indicates that some of those misses may have come in other competitions or contexts not fully reflected in the team-season penalty line, creating a data conflict. In this situation, it is safer to treat Muriqi as a frequent but not infallible penalty taker, and to avoid overstating team-level perfection from the spot.

The verdict

On paper, Mallorca have the stronger overall squad profile and the division’s second‑most productive striker in Vedat Muriqi. But the context of this specific fixture tilts the balance towards Levante.

The key factors:

• Levante’s superior recent league form (“WWLDW” vs Mallorca’s “LDWLD”).
• Home advantage at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, where Levante are more competitive (6-5-7) than Mallorca are away (2-3-13).
• Mallorca’s extensive injury list plus Mascarell’s suspension, which weakens both their defensive line and midfield control.
• Levante’s proven capacity to score multiple goals at home, against a Mallorca side conceding 1.9 per game away.

Mallorca still carry a major threat through Muriqi, and their recent head‑to‑head record in La Liga is marginally better. That should prevent this from being one‑way traffic. But the combination of Levante’s momentum, Mallorca’s away fragility and the absences in the visitors’ spine suggests the hosts are marginal favourites.

Expect a tense, physical match with cards, set pieces and aerial duels central to the story. In a game that both sides simply cannot afford to lose, Levante’s home edge and Mallorca’s depleted squad point towards a narrow Levante win or, at minimum, a draw that might not suit either in the wider relegation battle.