Written by Jordan Mitchell

Sevilla and Levante open Sunday’s La Liga schedule with both clubs under pressure, as team news delivers early talking points ahead of kick-off at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

Sevilla arrive with a degree of breathing room after recent results, but their starting XI raised eyebrows with Romero left out of the lineup. The decision signals a shift in approach as the home side looks to stabilise a season that has lurched between promise and frustration.

Levante, by contrast, are very much in crisis mode. Sunday marks the first match in charge for Luis Castro, who takes the reins hoping to arrest a slide that has dragged the club toward the bottom end of the table. Castro’s debut comes under unforgiving circumstances — away from home, against a side desperate to impose control early.

Confirmed Sevilla Starting XI

Odysseas; Juanlu, Carmona, Kike Salas, Gudelj; Oso, Agoumé, Mendy, Sow; Peque, Alexis.

The setup suggests Sevilla will look to dominate central areas through intensity and compactness, with Agoumé and Sow tasked with setting the tempo while Peque and Alexis operate between the lines.

Levante Face Immediate Test Under New Leadership

For Levante, the spotlight falls squarely on Castro’s tactical imprint. With confidence fragile and points urgently required, even small changes in structure or discipline could prove decisive.

Sevilla’s home crowd will expect early control and a fast start, while Levante’s focus is likely to be on staying compact and limiting damage during the opening phases — a familiar challenge for teams fighting momentum as much as opposition quality.

With both sides needing a response for different reasons, the opening exchanges may reveal as much about mentality as tactics in a fixture that could quietly shape the trajectory of their seasons.