Let's be honest from the start: the research file on this one is a blank page. No recent results, no confirmed lineups, no stadium details, no coach names — nothing. That's frustrating, but it doesn't mean we're blind. We know these two clubs inside out from years of watching Spanish football. Espanyol are the Barcelona-based side with a ferocious local identity, a team that feeds on the energy of their home crowd at the RCDE Stadium. Levante, from Valencia, are the classic yo-yo club — capable of brilliance on their day but often fragile away from home, especially when the pressure is on. With the season opener scheduled for mid-August, both sides are likely still finding their rhythm, but that's exactly where Espanyol's edge lies: they start fast at home, and Levante have a habit of taking a while to warm up.

We don't have numbers to throw at you, so we lean on the broader picture. Espanyol's recent campaigns have been defined by a stubborn, organised block and a knack for grinding out results in front of their own fans. Levante, meanwhile, have oscillated between promotion pushes and relegation scraps, and their away record has rarely been the stuff of legend. In a season opener, with both teams likely cautious, the home side's familiarity with their pitch and their crowd tends to tip the balance. Momentum is a real thing in football, and Espanyol will have spent the summer building towards this exact fixture. Levante will be hoping to spoil the party, but the burden of expectation sits heavier on the away bench.