Dani Requena's 82nd-minute equaliser earned Levante a 1-1 draw at Deportivo de La Coruña on Friday night, cancelling out Bil Nsongo's second-half opener at Riazor. The result in the opening game of LaLiga Matchday 9 left both relegation rivals without a league win in five games. Deportivo substitute Jonathan Asp Jensen hit the bar two minutes before the end.
Match facts
- Result: Deportivo 1-1 Levante (half-time 0-0)
- Competition: LaLiga EA Sports, Matchday 9
- Venue: Estadio Abanca-Riazor, A Coruña
- Scorers: Deportivo - Nsongo 63'; Levante - Requena 82'
- Red cards: None
- Attendance: 28,437
- Next: Levante v Athletic Club, Wednesday 21 October; Atlético Madrid v Deportivo, Saturday 24 October
How the match unfolded
Deportivo were without the injured Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the suspended Lorenzo Amatucci, who was sent off at Real Sociedad last time out. They still had the better of the first half. Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan saved from Luismi Cruz in the eighth minute and from Mario Soriano two minutes later. In the 37th minute he made his best save, from a Giacomo Quagliata volley after a pass from Yeremay Hernández. Nsongo shot just over a minute later, and at the other end Leo Román saved from Enzo Bardeli in the 41st minute.
Nsongo headed over from a Yeremay cross early in the second half. Antonio Hidalgo made a double change on the hour, bringing on Adama Traoré and Adrià Alti for Luismi Cruz and Ximo Navarro. A minute later, in the 63rd minute, Deportivo went ahead. Yeremay ran at the Levante defence, his shot was blocked, and Nsongo fired the loose ball into the bottom corner from the centre of the box.
Levante coach Luís Castro answered with two changes in the 69th minute, sending on Petar Ratkov and Jon Ander Olasagasti. Ryan kept out a powerful Adama shot on the counter-attack, and Román saved from Requena in the 71st minute. Yeremay then needed treatment for a cut to his face after a clash with Requena's boot. He returned with his head bandaged but was replaced by Asp Jensen in the 80th minute.
Ratkov headed wide in the 79th minute, and three minutes later he set up the equaliser, finding Requena on the left of the box for a left-footed finish into the bottom corner. Deportivo lost Bright Ede to injury soon afterwards, and in the 88th minute Asp Jensen beat Ryan from a Diego Villares pass, only to hit the bar. In stoppage time Román saved from Adrián de la Fuente to keep the draw.
Where it leaves them
Deportivo began the night eighth on ten points, and the draw takes them to 11. That keeps them clear of the bottom three, but they have not won in five league games, a run that includes the 3-2 defeat at Real Sociedad. Levante move up to seven points and still have a game in hand. They came into the game four days after a 3-3 home draw with Sevilla.
What comes next
Levante play that game in hand on Wednesday, when the Matchday 6 fixture against Athletic Club that was postponed in September is played at the Ciutat de València. They then visit Real Sociedad on Sunday 25 October. Deportivo travel to Atlético Madrid next Saturday. Earlier this season Atlético needed a late winner to beat Alavés 2-1.
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