A Critical Valencia Derby: A Historical Perspective

omidbasir- The current season has reached a critical juncture as the Valencia derby approaches, pitting Levante against Valencia. This matchup has never been held under such dire circumstances since it began in the mid-1960s. What is set to unfold today at the Estadio Ciutat de València is truly remarkable.

As it stands, Valencia occupies the 17th position in the league, while Levante is in 19th place, marking a local derby at the very bottom of the standings. This season has pushed both teams to their limits; never before have both sides been so deeply entrenched in relegation territory.

The most comparable situation occurred 63 years ago when Valencia was last in the league (16th place) in a 16-team format, while Levante was positioned 13th.

This marks the 18th season in which both teams coexist in Spain’s top tier of football. Historically, Valencia has typically held the upper hand in their encounters, having been ahead in the standings 26 times compared to Levante’s seven. The one exception occurred during the 2020-21 season, when they started the league on equal footing.

However, the 2025-26 season has been a trial for both clubs. In their previous match at Mestalla, Valencia was 17th and Levante was 19th, a scenario that has now repeated itself ahead of this derby at the Ciutat.

When examining the historical context of the Valencia-Levante derby since its inception in the 1963-64 season, the most significant disparity in league positions occurred in the 2007-08 season, where Valencia was 7th and Levante was at the bottom in 20th place. They played to a 0-0 draw at Mestalla during the 18th matchday.

The 2011-12 season marked Levante’s best performance in La Liga, as they faced off against Valencia while occupying 3rd place, with Valencia just behind in 4th, during the 12th matchday.

Levante has only held a higher position than Valencia once at Mestalla, during their first derby in the 1963-64 season, when Valencia was 16th and Levante was 13th. However, the Levante side has enjoyed superior standings in their home ground on four occasions: 1963-64, 2011-12, 2017-18, and 2018-19.

In the majority of these derbies, Valencia has generally been the better-positioned team. Notably, Levante has participated in this fixture 11 times from relegation slots, while Valencia has experienced this predicament only once, in the 1963-64 season. This season, Valencia finds itself in a similar strait, sitting at 17th place, highlighting the critical nature of the upcoming derby.