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Live Commentary: Levante 1-2 Celta Vigo - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the La Liga match between Levante and Celta Vigo.
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Celta Vigo defeated Levante 2-1 in the opening match of the 2015-16 La Liga season.

Simao Mate Junior was sent off inside the first five minutes, and Fabian Orellana took full advantage by giving Celta the lead just before half time.

Levante equalised through a Verza free kick but Iago Aspas bundled the ball into the net with 13 minutes remaining to secure the win for Celta.

Relive Sports Mole's live commentary below.


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Welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the La Liga match between Levante and Celta Vigo. We're 20 minutes away from kick off, so let's get straight to the team news.

LEVANTE XI: Ruben, Ivan, Trujillo, Simao, Juanfran, Tono, Verza, Jose Mari, Camarasa, Deyverson, Ghilas

CELTA VIGO XI: Blanco, Cabral, Mallo, Fontas, Jonny, Orellana, Hernandez, Fernandez, Wass, Aspas, Nolito

So, let's take a look at the Celta Vigo starting lineup first. They've been busy in the transfer window seeing six players come in and seven go out, and two of their new signings start tonight.

Iago Aspas, most famous in Britain for having a largely underwhelming spell at Liverpool, starts up front, with Danish import Daniel Wass taking a place on the right wing.


They also signed John Guidetti from Manchester City this summer, but the Swedish striker has to settle for a place on the bench tonight.

It will be difficult for Celta Vigo to improve on last season's eighth place finish, after they saw a number of key players leave the club.

Michael Krohn-Dehli moved to Sevilla, while Joaquin Larrivey was sold to UAE side Baniyas. Santi Mina and Charles have also left the club, to Valencia and Malaga respectively.


As for Levante, they stayed in La Liga by the skin of their teeth last season, and will be looking for an improvement this time around.

New signings Ruben and Nabil Ghilas make their debuts tonight.


With just five minutes before kickoff, it's time for my prediction. Celta have won the last three matches between the two teams, and they're heavy favourites to make it four. I can't argue with that - 2-0 to Celta Vigo.

Real Madrid's opening match against Sporting Gijon is still going on at the moment. They're currently being held with 15 minutes left. Keep up with Matt Law's live commentary by clicking here.

KICKOFF! We're underway and Levante burst forward straight from kickoff and win a free kick.

The free kick comes to nothing though and is blasted straight into the wall.

RED CARD! Levante are down to 10 men. Simao stamps on Aspas's legs and deserves to walk for that. Nightmare start for Levante!

That changes everything. Levante were already underdogs tonight, but now nobody will be tipping them.

What was Simao doing? A needless reaction leaves Levante a man down for the next 85 minutes.


Celta venture into the Levante penalty area for the first time and Nolito's shot takes a deflection behind. The corner is put into a dangerous area but eventually cleared away.

To be fair to Levante, they've responded well to going a man down. Attacking down the left, they win a throw deep in the Celta half but Cabral eventually gathers and Celta regain possession.

Jose Mari combines with Camarasa down the right wing and Levante win a corner. It's swung in towards the penalty spot and cleared away to Ivan Lopez who puts a long range effort into orbit.

Celta are seeing most of the possession at the moment, but there's no urgency just yet for them.

Levante seem quite happy to sit back and absorb any pressure. That could be a theme for the rest of the match after Simao's red card.


CHANCE! Jonny plays Nolito into the left side of the area, and his cutback is aimed towards Aspas, but Trujillo is in a good position to clear it away. If that had reached Aspas he'd have just needed to tap it into an empty net.

Time to take a look elsewhere - and Sporting Gijon have managed to hold Real Madrid! What a dreadful start for Madrid. Read the match report here.

Levante need to be careful here as Deyverson reacts to a foul by Hernandez by kicking out. Lessons need to be learnt from Simao's red card earlier on.

Jonny takes aim at the target but slips and his shot goes harmlessly into the arms of Ruben.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Levante thought they had taken the lead as Deyverson bundles the ball into the net from a corner, but the referee says he fould the goalkeeper. Levante are furious!

Looking at the replay, it seems that they're furious for a reason. Deyverson didn't appear to make any contact with Ruben Blanco at all.

That has certainly livened up the crowd, after a relatively quiet opening half an hour. Will Levante get a better chance than that tonight?

A second replay is shown, and it confirms that the referee has made an absolute howler there. Deyverson simply beat Blanco to the ball - no contact made whatsoever.

GOAL! Orellana gives Celta Vigo the lead! Jonny does brilliantly down the left wing before cutting back to Orellana, who finishes into the bottom-left corner. 1-0 Celta!

Levante will be devastated with that. Just nine minutes after having a goal disallowed, they're behind.

In truth, they don't deserve to be behind either. They've been the better team so far.


A deep Levante free kick is played into the box and headed clear. Tono picks it up and fires a long range shot across the box but it's blocked once again and Celta regroup.

CHANCE! Orellana is causing problems once again. He drives down the left wing, and plays a one-two with Nolito, but his shot is blocked by Juanfran.

There will be two minutes of stoppage time.

HALF TIME: Levante 0-1 Celta Vigo

Well, an eventful first half! A red card and a controversial disallowed goal and Orellana's terrific finish in the 40th minute.

You'd think now that Celta won't have any problems in securing the three points, but Levante had their moments in the first half. This one's certainly not a foregone conclusion.

STAT WATCH: Celta have enjoyed 68% of the possession, with Levante happy so far to sit back. Levante have used the ball well in the first half though, taking six shots to Celta's seven.

We're almost ready to get back underway for the second half.

KICKOFF! Celta kick off to start the second half.

DOUBLE SAVE! Superb goalkeeping from Ruben. First, Nolito's shot from the edge of the area is blocked before Orellana's rebound effort is deflected for a corner.

The corner causes problems for the Levante defence, but Ruben eventually hooks the ball away from danger.

Levante are enjoying a spell in the Celta half. Ghilas is looking like their most dangerous outlet down the left wing.

Levante win a free kick just a few yards outside the penalty area after Deyverson is fouled. Verza's lining it up...

GOAL! Levante 1-1 Celta Vigo (Verza)

What a free kick! Verza cooly curls it into the top-right corner. He left Blanco with absolutely no chance with that one and Levante are level!

That goal should surely set us up for a cracking final 30 minutes. I certainly didn't foresee Levante getting back into this one.

CHANCE! Celta have a great chance to regain the lead after Jonny crosses towards Wass, who is alone in the penalty area. He fails to get a head to it though and the ball trickles wide.

A good passage of play for Levante finally ends up with Ghilas firing wide from long range.

CHANCE! Orellana again has a chance to score, but his shot from the edge of the area is deflected wide by Trujillo.

SAVE! Ruben is having a superb debut. This time he keeps out Nolito's powerful strike to keep the scores level.

SUBSTITUTION: John Guidetti replaces Hugo Mallo. He was part of the Sweden squad that won the Under-21 European Championship this summer.

It's certainly a signal of intent for Celta. They've gone three up front now.


SUBSTITION: Levante are going for the win too. Victor Casadesus comes on for Jose Mari to add to their attack.

Ghilas links up well with Casadesus, and the sub is fouled on the left corner of the box. It's Verza again...

CLOSE! Verza curls it just over the bar. It wasn't too far off a repeat for him.

GOAL: Levante 1-2 Celta Vigo (Aspas)

Aspas somehow bundles it into the back of the net after Ivan Lopez fails to deal with a low cross from Wass. Levante don't deserve to be losing, but they defended poorly and Celta made them pay.

Can Levante bounce back from this? They've done it once before tonight, but have been a man down for nearly the whole match. They might not have enough left in the tank though.

BOOKING! Guidetti's name is taken after a poor challenge on the halfway line.

Celta keeper Blanco is down after a collision from Deyverson. With the ball coming into the area, Deyverson leaped up high and it looks like Blanco will have to come off.

SUBSTITUTION: Nestor replaces Blanco due to an injury.

Nestor certainly is in no rush to come on. He's taking an age to get his gloves on.

Celta now have a corner after a through ball was cleared behind by Trujillo.

From the corner Orellana crosses towards Guidetti, but the big Swede can't quite jump high enough and Levante clear.

Guidetti retrieves the ball on the right wing before cutting back for Nolito, but he fails to make a good connection and the ball rolls harmlessly away.

There will be six minutes of time added on.

POST! Orellana could have put the game to bed there, but his placed effort from the edge of the box rebounds off the left post.

SUBSTITUTION: Radoja replaces Aspas as Celta look to shut up shop for the final four minutes of stoppage time.

SUBSTITUTION: Celta make their final substitution as Planas replaces Jonny.

A deep Levante free kick is played into the area but Wass heads it away.

On the counter, Nolito sprints down the left wing and Morales bundles him over on the edge of the box. Free kick.

The free kick goes over the bar. We're into the 97th minute now..

CHANCE! Morales's cross causes all sorts of problems for Nestor, who punches it away for a corner.

The corner is headed over the bar. That should be that.

FULL TIME: Levante 1-2 Celta Vigo

Celta get the three points, but Levante will feel hard done by not to have come away with anything there. After playing so well when a man down for most of the match, Aspas's winning goal is so harsh on them.

A good start for Celta but they'll surely be needing to improve if they're to qualify for Europe this season.

As far as Levante is concerned, they may have lost this one tonight but if they play as they did all season then they'll have no problems battling for relegation this time around.

That's all from me. Come back for more La Liga commentaries throughout the season.

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Written by
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Juanfran Garcia of Levante UD competes for the ball with Ferran Corominas of Elche FC during the La Liga match between Levante UD and Elche FC at Ciutat de Valencia on December 13, 2013
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