Preview: Neymar and Gerardo Martino prepared to join the Messi show
Barcelona will begin their 2013/14 campaign with a new manager on the bench, after Tito Vilanova had to step down so that he could seek further medical attention. WIth Gerardo Martino in the hot seat now, many Barcelona fans expect their tiki-taka style of football to continue, as the former Newells Old Boys manager is a fan of that style of play.
Along with Martino, Barcelona will welcome Brazilian star Neymar to the Nou Camp for what will be his first La Liga match with his new club.
He has already featured in a number of matches during the pre-season, and his pace and creativity has already been on show for everyone to see. Going up against Levante at home in their opening match should give the Catalans a chance to settle in and get rid of all the first match jitters.
But, even with the arrival of Neymar, Barcelona still has a number of question marks in the back line. They have yet to bring in a suitable option to give them the depth they have been needing for quite some time, but the transfer window remains open for another two weeks.
Causing more concern for Martino heading into his first match in charge is Puyol's absence, which may force him to feature Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano together.
Isaac Cuenca will also be missing from this match, but Cesc Fabregas has recovered from an ankle injury, allowing him to be an option for the opening match.
The visitors will at least be hopeful that they can attack at least one weak point in this Barcelona squad. And after their two defeats to the Catalans last year, they will be hoping that the addition of a number of new players will give them a better chance of claiming a positive result.
Their match last season at the Nou Camp ended in a 1-0 defeat, but that lone goal came in the 86th minute, with Cesc Fabregas doing the honors. The match at Levante was not as competitive, with the Blaugrana running away with a 0-4 victory. From their last six meetings, Barcelona has won five, with a 1-1 draw in between. With those results, Levante's confidence going into the match may not be all that high.
Barcelona will be expected to put on a good performance in their opening match, and Levante does not look to have the squad to be able to challenge Martino's side. But, what makes football so unpredictable is the abilty of inferior teams to put on a performance, allowing them to pull off a surprise. The Catalans will be hoping that they can escape their opening match without a shock result.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels
Watch Barcelona vs Levante live on Sunday, August 18, 2013:
In the UK at 18:00 BST on: Sky Sports 4/HD, Sky Go
In the USA at 13:00 ET on: beIN Sport, SiriusXM FC, beIN Sport Play, beIN Sport en Espanol
If you are outside the two viewing areas mentioned above, please check our match page for full TV listings in your country. Otherwise, follow live scores on LiveSoccerTV's homepage.
