What Makes Levante FC Tick ?

Get this straight , the average age of the Levante FC side is just a day short of 32 years . Astounding , if you analyze that and glance up to check who is at the top of  La Liga in Spain . Although Barcelona and Real Madrid have done the early running , they have been quite comprehensively been beaten to the punch by an unfancied  Levante side .

This start draws a parallel to the Real Sociedad side that almost won La Liga in  2002-2003. Real Sociedad had just been promoted but they comprised of a lot of quality players . The Alonso brothers , Darko Kovacevic , Javi DePedro, Nihat Kahveci and Valery Karpin(at his peak) . The brand of football they employed then is quite similar to the one being used by Levante currently. It would be more than a longshot for Levante to win the league as it would be extraordinarily hard for them to keep up this early momentum . As an ardent football fan , credit must be given where due.

Levante , managed by Juan Ignacio Martinez , whose style is characterized by a free-flowing , high-pressing ,man-marking system .  Levante have assembled a team that has experienced , proven Spanish players . Both wing-backs Asier DelHorno and Javi Venta are offensive wing-backs with a quality cross on them . The former had a stint at Chelsea and has represented Spain on several occasions . Javi Venta is a no non-sense defender in the Michel Salgado mould ,effective and has a high work-rate. At the heart of the defence is club captain , Sergio Ballesteros . At 36 , he is still a commanding center-half having spent four fruitful years with the yellow submarines . Juanfran , a journeyman of sorts , having played for several clubs in Europe , gives the side some more experience and stability. Juanlu , an unknown quantity in Spanish football has hit a purple patch since joining Levante . Another notable player putting in the performances is  Real Madrid reject Valdo . Not a prolific goal-scorer by any means but a skillful player who can change a game with that killer pass in the final third. Kone and Caeicedo have pace and always pose a constant threat . The team , on the whole , have been responding to the manager well.

The consummate ease with which they demolished a good Villareal side was impressive . Over the years , Villareal have proved to be one of the hardest teams to beat at home in La Liga . Every game plan has worked so far for Levante . The players have adapted to different situations quickly . This shows that the system in place is a well-drilled one . Eight games in and no defeats so far .  Levante possess a miserly defense and a some flair up-front . Combine that with proven la liga experience and you have a solid unit. Levante have been a breath of fresh air to the La Liga so far . Neutrals have been crying out for a team to step up and challenge the dominant two of Barcelona and Real Madrid .

It has been a fairytale start but will it be a fairytale ending ? Only time will tell .