Without Messi, Griezmann gets chance to shine at Barcelona
Antoine Griezmann gets his best chance yet to take a leading role at Barcelona as the Catalan club continues adjusting to life without Lionel MessiAUGUST 19, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
LEVANTE 6-5-3 · 7TH IN LALIGA 2
6-5-3 · 7TH IN LALIGA 2
Aitor Fernandez - Concedes late goal in draw Fernandez made one save and conceded one goal during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Cadiz.
Impact Fernandez didn't have to work during the first half and, despite the opposition's different stance after halftime, he still looked on his way to a clean sheet. That lasted until deep into second half's stoppage time, but then Pacha Espino appeared in front of him to draw things level in the last play of the match. Things won't be easier for the goalkeeper on Aug. 22 as his side hosts Real Madrid and goalscoring machine Karim Benzema.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jorge De Frutos Sebastian - Takes four shots in draw De Frutos had four shots (one on target), sent in six inaccurate crosses, suffered three fouls and made two tackles (one won) during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Cadiz.
Impact De Frutos was very active on the offensive end, with team highs in both shots attempted and crosses but, other than a long-range strike in the 11th minute, his actions didn't lead to clear goalscoring opportunities. Up next for the winger is Aug. 22 home match against Real Madrid.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jose Campana - Fills stat sheet in draw Campana had one off-target shot, created four chances, sent in four crosses (one accurate), made three tackles (two won) and two interceptions, suffered two fouls and was shown a y...
Impact Campana was very productive on both ends and his contributions were clearly reflected on his stat sheet, which included a couple of team highs. The midfielder's two-way production will be in very high demand on Aug. 22, when his side hosts Real Madrid.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Gonzalo Melero - Provides assist in draw Melero made an assist and was shown a yellow card during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Cadiz.
Impact Melero assisted Jose Luis Morales for the opening goal of the match but, other than that, he had a very quiet performance, which led him to be subbed off in the 63rd minute. Up next for the midfielder is Aug. 22 home match against Real Madrid.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jose Luis Morales - Scores in draw against Cadiz Morales scored a goal off three shots (one on target), sent in two crosses (one accurate) and was shown a yellow card during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Cadiz.
Impact Morales opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a stunning shot from just inside the box. And he could have scored again in the closing minutes of the second half, when he intercepted a pass and seeing himself in a breakaway situation. But, after advancing 50 yards with the ball, the winger could only hit the post with his shot and that missed chance proved to be costly at the end of the game. Morales will need to make most of his chances during Aug. 22 home match against Real Madrid.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Dani Gomez - Hurts thigh in draw Gomez suffered a right thigh injury during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Cadiz and is expected to miss three weeks.
Impact Gomez had already entered Saturday's match for the injured Roberto Soldado (hamstring), before later suffering a problem of his own. Fortunately, the September international break means that Gomez shouldn't miss many matches while he's out, though he does leave a void at backup forward that someone new will need to fill.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Roberto Soldado - Out six weeks Soldado picked up a right hamstring and adductor injury during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Soldado only lasted 51 minutes into his Levante debut before suffering a debilitating muscular problem. While he's out, the lineup while likely look similar to how it did last season, though Dani Gomez picked up his own injury and Sergio Leon could get more time in the team over the coming weeks.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
MATCHDAY: Villarreal hopes for rare winning start
Villarreal hopes to end its winless streak in Spanish league openers when it hosts GranadaAUGUST 15, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sergio Postigo - Suffers sprain in friendly Postigo picked up a grade I right knee sprain in Wednesday's friendly, his club announced Thursday.
Impact Postigo started in 19 of his 22 appearances last season, though a potential absence to start the La Liga campaign could see a shift in formation away from one with three center-backs. As a result, Ruben Vezo and Oscar Duarte are one possible option in defense while Postigo is out.
AUGUST 5, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jose Campana - Playing in friendly Campana featured in Thursday's friendly against Valencia.
Impact Campana dropped from 37 appearances made in 2019/20 to just nine in the most recent season due to a string of different injuries. He's off to a better start ahead of the next campaign and will hope to return to his status as a solid creative player.
JULY 30, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Milutin Vidosavljevic - Joins Levante on loan Vidosavljevic joined Levante on a season-long loan from Cukaricki of Serbia on Friday.
Impact Vidosavljevic has experience at multiple levels of the Serbian youth national teams and six goals soccer over his last 59 professional matches. As a young winger who's getting his first chance in a top division, Vidosavljevic may not get many minutes and focus more on developing his game.
JULY 30, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Roberto Soldado - Signs with Levante Soldado joined Levante from Granada on Monday. He's committed to a two-year contract with his new club.
Impact Soldado was a major veteran presence during Granada's two successful years back in La Liga as he scored 16 goals in 62 games. It's not clear why motivated his departure, though he's now able to return to the city of his birth where he scored 59 goals for Valencia between 2010 and 2013. At this stage of his career, Soldado could be the forward his new club were looking for after a season of struggling to play the same lineup for more than a few games at a time.
JUNE 30, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Enis Bardhi - Takes three corners Bardhi registered three corners, two crosses (two accurate) and three shots (one on target) in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Netherlands.
Impact Bardhi managed four corners, five shots (one accurate) and three crosses (two accurate) in three outings for Macedonia at the Euro 2020 tournament. The midfielder will return to Levante for the upcoming La Liga season and should see plenty off freekick opportunities which makes him a solid fantasy option.
JUNE 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Enis Bardhi - Starting Sunday Bardhi made the starting lineup for Sunday's Group C game against Austria.
Impact Bardhi overcame a case of COVID-19 picked up early into preparations for the Euros to make the starting lineup. Between he and Ezgjan Alioski, North Macedonia feature two quality creative players.
JUNE 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Enis Bardhi - Training, ready for opener Bardhi (COVID-19) returned to training Monday and is expected to be ready for Sunday's match against Austria, reports El Desmarque.
Impact Bardhi didn't take part in either friendly for North Macedonia because of COVID-19, but he'll get almost a full week of training ahead of Sunday's opener, which means he should be ready to start. He's one of the more important players on the team, though he's coming off a season with Levante in which he totaled just one goal and two assists in 26 appearances.
JUNE 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Enis Bardhi - Tests positive for COVID-19 Bardhi tested positive for COVID-19 while with the North Macedonia national team, his club announced Wednesday.
Impact Bardhi is one of the biggest names that could have been called for this summer's Euro tournament, but this news could see him left out of the squad altogether. However there should be enough time for Bardhi to recover by the June 13 opener against Austria in Group C if the risk is taken for his inclusion.
MAY 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Levante, Cádiz end their Spanish league season with 2-2 draw
Levante and Cádiz closed their Spanish league season with a 2-2 drawMAY 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Son - Busy in season finale Son created four chances from eight crosses (four accurate) during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Son made just 10 starts all season and this game was one of his better performances. The strong depth of this team while still rotating their defenders means that Son was seldom able to stay in the lineup for long, though he wasn't high enough on the depth chart to have a chance of that happening. As long as he stays with this team, a similar role is likely if the roster doesn't chance over the offseason.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Dani Cardenas - Concedes twice in draw Cardenas conceded two goals and made no saves during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Cardenas conceded two goals in each of his final four appearances of the season. For a talented young player, that's not a great record, so he'll likely need to improve in the offseason if he wishes to regularly compete with Aitor Fernandez for a starting role.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jorge De Frutos Sebastian - Provides nine crosses in draw De Frutos provided nine inaccurate crosses during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact De Frutos ends the season with the second-most crosses of any player on his team but leads by some distance with nine assists. This is a good record to take into next season, as his 22 starts in 37 appearances are the most of his young career. With Jose Luis Morales and Roger Marti both aging but still productive, keep an eye on what De Frutos can do in the years to come as a creative player.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Gonzalo Melero - Scores in final three matches Melero scored one goal from three shots (two on goal) and created one chance during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Melero struck the net three times in three games to finish the season to finish with seven goals in 29 appearances. It's a solid tally for someone who didn't always make much happen in the stat column, but an increase in time on the ball due to the injuries for more creative players was a boon for his performances. Heading into next season, the presence of Jose Campana and Enis Bardhi in the team will likely have an influence on how big of an impact Melero can make.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Tono - Logs assist in season finale Tono provided one assist from three chances created on four crosses (one accurate) during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Tono tends to alternate appearances at left-back with Carlos Clerc and that held up as he logged two assists while only starting twice in the final three weeks of the season. Overall, he made nine starts from 12 appearances in this campaign and won't offer much value in the coming seasons as long as he remains in a platoon-style role in this team.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Roger Marti - Finishes season strong Marti scored one goal from four shots (one on goal) and provided one assist from one chance created during Friday's 2-2 draw with Cadiz.
Impact Marti is often a very streaky player, and that held true as he scored once and assisted on two other strikes over the final three matches of the season. After making 26 starts from 33 appearances, Marti comes away with 12 goals and four assists, the latter of which is his best number in at least five seasons. When he's found his rhythm, there's not many teams that can stop him, though that's not something to be expected every week of any season.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Ruben Vezo - Unavailable Friday Vezo will miss Friday's season finale against Cadiz due to a knee issue.
Impact Vezo appeared to pick up the issue at halftime of Sunday's loss to Getafe and remains unable to play in the season finale. While Vezo is out, Oscar Duarte has a good chance to start at center-back and Tono could then fill the gap at left-back.
MAY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
