José Luis Morales led Levante with a commanding performance that surpassed Granada in the opening half, featuring a penalty, two assists, and goals from Dani Gómez and France’s Mickael Malsa. Morales forced a red card for Granada’s Germán Sánchez with a double yellow in the 55th minute, tilting the match decisively in Levante’s favor.
Álex Collado’s late goal for Granada in the 90th minute offered a fading glimmer of hope, but Levante responded to seal a 0-3 first-leg victory. Roberto Soldado added a late goal in stoppage time to seal the score and restore a two-goal aggregate advantage for Levante.
Right from the opening minutes, Levante demonstrated sharper ideas and faster tempo, repeatedly probing Granada with Morales and Dani Gómez testing the white and red defense. The visitors initially blocked Morales with a firm line, while Dani Gómez struck in the 17th minute to put Levante ahead after a striking solo effort from Morales.
Granada found danger when Sergio Escudero attempted a long-range shot, but Levante’s pressure remained relentless, exploiting gaps in the Granada defense. In the early stages, Maximiano managed to deny a second goal from Dani Gómez and Morales on a shared header, minutes apart, as the first half intensified.
Granada’s best moment before halftime came from Escudero’s long free kick that hit the crossbar, with Luis Milla’s follow-up volley saved by Dani Cárdenas. Before the break, another vigorous spell from Morales helped Levante press for a second goal, which narrowly missed thanks to quick, decisive action from the Portuguese goalkeeper Maximiano and defenders clearing several dangerous sequences.
The second half opened with Granada showing more ambition, a draw appearing on the horizon as Jorge Molina pressed, only for Cárdenas to repel a sharp stop at close range. A key decision involving the video review system prevented a Granada goal, and Morales saw a decisive moment when Germán Sánchez earned a red card for a second booking, reducing Granada to ten men and shaping the game’s rhythm.
With the match now tilted toward Levante, Morales rallied his team in the 56th minute, converting a comfortable two-goal cushion into a platform for a dominant spell. Granada pressed late, creating moments of danger as Ángel Montoro and Njegos Petrovic tested the Levante defense, but the away side held firm and cleared threats from a wary defense.
Morales unleashed another decisive counterattack in the 77th minute, setting up a clinical finish from Malsa, who completed the scoring to make it 0-3 and secure a clean sheet for Levante while lifting the aggregate score. The ball then bounced to Ángel Collado, who found the net in the 92nd minute for Granada, a strike that briefly revived hope but could not alter the outcome after Soldado added a late, decisive fourth at the final whistle.
Data sheet:
Granada lineup: Maximiano, Quini, Víctor Díaz, Álex Collado (m46), Domingos, Germán, Escudero, Petrovic (Isma Ruiz m80), Luis Milla (Montoro m70), Puertas (Uzuni m70), Machís, Jorge Molina (Arezo m80).
Levante lineup: Cárdenas, Miramón (Marc Pubill m46), Rober Pier, Postigo (Duarte m63), Vezo, Son, Pepelu, Radoja (Malsa m63), Melero, Morales (Soldado m80), Dani Gómez (Cantero m67).
Goals: 0-1 Dani Gómez art.17; 0-2 Morales penalty art.56; 0-3 Malsa art.77; 1-3 Alex Collado art.92; 1-4 Soldado art.95.
Referee: Pizarro Gómez (Madrid). Germán Sánchez was dismissed for a double yellow card in minutes 44 and 55. Cautions were issued to Víctor Díaz (m35), Petrovic (m69), Machís (m74), and Radoja (m40).
Attendance: The match, part of LaLiga Santander’s 32nd round, drew approximately 18,000 spectators at the Nuevo Los Cármenes Stadium.