**Villarreal and Levante are warming up with a friendly clash that'll tell us plenty about their preseason sharpness.** 🔥 The Yellow Submarine comes in hot off a thumping 5-1 win over Atlético Madrid but stumbled against Benfica, while Levante's riding a three-win streak and looking lean.

Villarreal's attack is stocked with **N. Pépé** and **G. Mikautadze** up front, which should give them the edge on firepower. Levante have solid midfield mettle in **J. A. Olasagasti** and **K. Arriaga**, but they'll need to stay compact or get picked apart on the break.

Key storylines:

- **Villarreal's finishing will be the test** — they've swung wildly between high-scoring wins and tight defeats; this is their chance to nail consistency
- **Levante's defensive shape under pressure** — can they hold together against a side that just put five past a Spanish giant?
- **Preseason fitness levels** — both teams still settling in; whoever handles the intensity better grabs control early

Expected lineups:

- **Villarreal**: L. Júnior, S. Cardona, R. Veiga, P. Navarro, S. Mouriño, A. Moleiro, P. Gueye, S. Comesaña, T. Buchanan, N. Pépé, G. Mikautadze
- **Levante UD**: P. Cuñat, Adri, J. Toljan, H. Sotelo, N. Pérez, J. A. Olasagasti, K. Arriaga, I. Romero, V. García, E. Eyong, P. Cortés

Prediction:

**Villarreal 2–1 Levante** — yellow edge in a competitive friendly. ⚽