Levante vs Atlético lineups: Julián starts as Simeone rests Romero
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Julián Álvarez starts for Atlético Madrid against Levante today.
- Cristian "Cuti" Romero misses out, while Marc Pubill returns to his old ground.
- Atlético sit second in LaLiga, two points behind Barcelona, with six straight wins.
Atlético Madrid have named their starting XI for the trip to Levante. The big news is simple: Julián Álvarez starts.
Cristian "Cuti" Romero does not. Diego Simeone picked his star striker but left out his centre-back.
The game is Matchday 11 of the 2026-27 LaLiga season. It is played at the Estadi Ciutat de València in Valencia.
What happened
The two clubs released their lineups before kick-off. Simeone's choices tell a clear story.
Jan Oblak is in goal. The back four: Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Dávid Hancko and Alejandro Grimaldo.
The midfield: Giuliano Simeone, Morten Hjulmand, Pablo Barrios and Álex Baena. Up front: Lee Kang-in and Julián Álvarez.
The shape is 4-4-2, according to World Soccer Talk.
The headline is Pubill. He returns to the Ciutat de València, where he made his top-flight debut.
Now he starts in the middle of the defence. Romero is the man who loses his place.
Simeone chose not to risk him, with bigger games coming. Summer signing Jonathan David waits on the bench.
Hjulmand comes straight back in next to Barrios.
Koke and Johnny Cardoso are both out. Both were listed as injured before the game.
So Simeone built his midfield without two senior players. Llorente fills in at full-back, a job he has done before.
Levante, led by Luís Castro, play a 4-3-3. Mathew Ryan starts in goal.
The back four: Jeremy Toljan, Aïssa Mandi, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Nacho Pérez. The midfield three: Jon Ander Olasagasti, Iván Romero and Etta Eyong.
The attack: Roger Brugué, Thiago Fernández and Daniel Requena. That is the confirmed lineup reported by SportsGambler.
Why it matters
Atlético are chasing the title. They sit second in LaLiga with 25 points from 10 games.
Barcelona lead by two points. Real Madrid are one point behind. Every point counts.
Their form is strong. They have won their last six league games in a row.
The latest win was 1-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruña. Álvarez scored the only goal, early in the second half.
Before that they beat Espanyol 1-0 on October 17. Then they beat Alavés 2-1 on October 10.
Their defence has been tight too. Oblak has five clean sheets this season.
Álvarez, 26, is the man fans are searching for. He leads the attack again.
Baena and Lee Kang-in support him. Baena is the club's top scorer this season with five goals. Grimaldo and David have three each.
Levante are fighting a different battle. They sit 15th with 10 points from 10 games.
Their record: two wins, four draws, four defeats. Their last game was a 2-1 loss away to Real Sociedad on October 25.
Nacho Pérez scored their goal. Before that they beat Athletic 3-1 on October 21.
A result against a title challenger would calm nerves. Brugué, with five goals, is the man they look to.
The recent history adds spice. Atlético are unbeaten in their last three games against Levante.
The last meeting at this ground ended 0-0. Across the last ten meetings, Atlético won four. Levante won two. Four were drawn.
This is a busy football Saturday. Chelsea host Manchester United in the Premier League.
That game kicks off at Stamford Bridge. In Australia, the Saturday night derby is Macarthur against Western Sydney Wanderers.
England also has Wolves against Bolton at Molineux.
What happens next
The match kicked off at 9:00 AM ET, which is 6:00 PM Pakistan time. It is now underway in Valencia.
An Atlético win would make it seven straight league victories. It would keep the pressure on Barcelona at the top.
It would also keep them clear of Real Madrid, who sit one point behind.
For Levante, the goal is simpler. They need points to move away from the bottom half.
Home games are their best hope. Points have been hard to find this season.
The table will look different by the end of the weekend. Barcelona and Real Madrid still have to play.
Simeone's men can only do their job on the pitch. One thing is clear from the team sheet.
Simeone wants to win this game first. He will worry about the bigger matches later.
That is why Julián Álvarez starts. That is why summer signing Jonathan David starts on the bench.
Big calls, big night, and one of the season's most-watched lineups.
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