CD Tarancón vs Levante 28.10.2026: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

This is the kind of fixture that makes the Copa del Rey so irresistible: a fifth-tier underdog welcoming a top-flight club with deep financial and technical resources. Tarancón are preparing for one of the most significant matches in their entire history, as they host Levante at their small municipal ground. The Valencian visitors arrive with their reputation battered after a miserable start to the La Liga campaign, yet the gulf in class remains so vast that they are still treated as unchallenged favourites. All the same, this is a tie that carries far more nuance than the league positions suggest.

Tarancón: A Historic Return to the Copa del Rey

Currently plying their trade in the Tercera Federación, Spain's fifth tier, Tarancón have been gradually shaking off their sluggish opening to the current campaign. Jorge Cañete's side lost their first two league matches without any room for excuses, but since then they have not tasted defeat, going six consecutive games unbeaten. That sequence has provided the perfect momentum boost ahead of a cup match that the town will not forget anytime soon.

The Copa del Rey is returning to Tarancón for the first time in 43 years. Back in the 1983-84 season, the city was represented in the competition by Agrupación Deportiva Tarancón, the direct predecessor of this very club. That team managed to reach the second round, where they came face to face with the mighty Atlético Madrid. The two-legged affair turned into a sobering lesson in top-level quality, as Tarancón suffered a 1-5 defeat at home before losing 0-5 on the road.

Their return to the national cup has been earned on merit. A second-place finish in the previous edition of the Tercera Federación paved the way for this glamorous tie against Levante. The match is scheduled to be played at Tarancón's municipal stadium, where additional temporary stands are already being installed to accommodate a bumper crowd for what everyone in the city understands is an extraordinary occasion.

Levante: Cup Favourites with a Fragile Edge

Levante's league season has been deeply unconvincing. The team have claimed just two victories from their first ten Primera matches, and the statistics underline a worrying trend: in six of those ten rounds, they have conceded at least two goals. October offered glimpses of hope, as Luís Castro's group twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Sevilla and 1-1 with Deportivo, before surprisingly overpowering Athletic Club 3-1 with a confident display. That result, however, has not led to a sustained revival. In their most recent league outing, Levante travelled to Real Sociedad and slipped to a 1-2 defeat, leaving them deep in the lower half of the table.

Their recent Copa del Rey record hardly inspires confidence either. In last season's edition, Levante were pushed to the brink by far less accomplished opponents. First, they needed a high-scoring and uncomfortably close 4-3 win over fourth-tier Orihuela, and then they could only scrape past Tercera Federación side Cieza with a single goal, winning 1-0. The adventure ended in the round of 32 with a shocking 1-0 reverse against Cultural Leonesa. Now they face another fifth-division opponent, and this time they do so less than 48 hours after completing the long trip back from San Sebastián.

With such a congested calendar and a squad still searching for stability, the likelihood of rotation cannot be ignored. Castro may well make several changes, and that could affect the chemistry of a back line that has already been responsible for a host of problems this season. On paper, Levante possess far greater quality than Tarancón, but their habit of making life difficult for themselves in cup games is a worrying sign for their supporters.

Predicted Lineups and Team News

Both sides are set to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Tarancón will rely on their usual key names, while Levante's starting eleven could feature a number of fresh faces given the short turnaround.

• Tarancón (4-2-3-1): Peri; Ángel, Airam Fernández, Gasco, Pomares; Madcuri, P. López; Paulinho, Sima, Cabellud; Antonio Fernández.

Coach: Jorge Cañete.

• Levante (4-2-3-1): Cunyat; Tolán, Cabello, Tape, Santos; Rey, Sotelo; Cortés, Musuayi, Brugué; Eiong.

Coach: Luís Castro.

Levante will have to cope without Bardeli, who is sidelined through injury, while Dela remains a doubt for the encounter. Tarancón, on the other hand, have no reported absentees and will be able to field their strongest available side.

Prediction and Bet

There is no question that Levante are the clear favourites, but the manner of their recent performances makes a comfortable victory far from certain. The Valencian side struggled badly against lower-tier opposition in last year's competition, needing a frantic match to get past Orihuela 4-3 and managing just a single goal against Cieza, a team from the exact same level as Tarancón. What is more, Levante are facing their second away assignment in just a matter of days, and with one eye likely fixed on the league calendar, rotation is both probable and reasonable.

Given these circumstances, a high-scoring demolition seems unlikely. Tarancón have found their rhythm in front of goal, arriving on the back of six games without defeat and 14 goals scored in that stretch. That run includes a particularly emphatic 6-2 victory away to Guadalajara's reserve side. It would be naive to expect similar ease against a La Liga club, but Levante's backline has shown itself to be vulnerable all season, leaking goals in each of their last six league matches. Defensive cohesion could suffer further if the visitors ring the changes.

Therefore, the sensible approach is to back Tarancón with a +2.5 handicap, meaning they can lose by two goals or fewer and the bet still lands. At the same time, given the hosts' attacking form and the visitors' defensive generosity, supporting both teams to score looks like a complementary and equally reasonable wager.