Back to blog
Fantasy

Coach of the Matchday 3: Luís Castro and Levante's 5-2 win over Betis

Published: 2026-09-05 · 4 min read
Football pitch seen from the dugout, with the playing field lit up in the background
Luís Castro
Luís Castro#9
Levante UD
Coach of the matchday 3
3.82pts× 1.275

3 points for the win × 1.275 multiplier

Levante UD
5–2
Real Betis
  • 24' Dela
  • 47' Bardeli
  • 55' Brugué
  • 70' Brugué
  • 95' Olasagasti
  • 33' Bartra
  • 49' Riquelme
29 August 2026Matchday 3

Coach profile

Luís Manuel Ferreira de Castro · 46 years old · Portugal · Levante UD since 20/12/2025

Career

  1. Panetolikos (Grecia) · 2019
  2. Benfica (juveniles) · 2019-2022
  3. Benfica "B" · 2022-2023
  4. USL Dunkerque (Francia) · 2023-2025
  5. FC Nantes (Francia) · 2025
  6. Levante UD (España) · 2025-actualidad

Honours

  • Campeonato Nacional de Juniores (Benfica (sub-19), 2021-22)
  • Liga Juvenil de la UEFA (Benfica (sub-19), 2021-22)
  • Copa Intercontinental Sub-20 (Benfica (sub-20), 2022)
Profile sources: Wikipedia ES · Wikidata Q112860643

RutaMister coaches standings · Matchday 3

RutaMister's own ranking: cumulative points of the 20 LaLiga 2026/27 head coaches after 3 matchdays.

#MoveCoachPts.
1+2
Luis Miguel Ramis
CA Osasuna
8.60
2+3
Quique Sánchez Flores
Deportivo Alavés
8.50
3+3
Hansi Flick
FC Barcelona
6.60
4=
José Mourinho
Real Madrid
6.45
5-4
Luis García
Sevilla FC
6.45

Luís Castro is 9th with 4.80 pts (+6 places).

See positions 6 to 20
6+4
Antonio Hidalgo
RC Deportivo
5.85
7-5
Manuel Pellegrini
Real Betis
5.33
8-1
Diego Simeone
Atlético de Madrid
5.22
9+6
Luís Castro
Levante UD
4.80
10+2
José Alberto López
Racing de Santander
4.70
11+8
Edin Terzić
Athletic Club
3.45
12+8
Pellegrino Matarazzo
Real Sociedad
2.92
13-5
Manolo González
RCD Espanyol
2.63
14-5
José Bordalás
Getafe CF
2.10
15-4
Iñigo Pérez
Villarreal CF
1.57
16-3
Carlos Corberán
Valencia CF
1.07
17-3
Juan Francisco Funes
Málaga CF
1.00
18-2
Claudio Giráldez
RC Celta
0.93
19-2
Martín Anselmi
Elche CF
0.90
20-2
Beñat San José
Rayo Vallecano
0.85

Points = result base × previous-position multiplier. Source: football-data.co.uk. · Photos: credits

The match in 90 minutes

Levante came out pressing from kick-off. Iván Romero led the high press, though he wasted two clear chances in minutes 11 and 14.

Levante came out onto the pitch driven on by their crowd, looking to unsettle Betis from kick-off, with Iván Romero as the main focus of the high press.

Betis had a goal ruled out before the first real one. Troy Parrott scored after an assist from Rodrigo Riquelme, but he was offside.

Dela put Levante ahead in minute 24. A header from a corner caught Álvaro Valles off guard.

Marc Bartra equalised before the break. His shot, after a loss of possession by Oriol Rey, beat Mathew Ryan in minute 33.

The second half was a goal-fest. Enzo Bardeli restored the lead with a long-range shot, Rodrigo Riquelme levelled again from a corner, and captain Roger Brugué headed in the 3-2.

Brugué completed his brace in minute 70. He pounced on a loose ball after a Romero shot that hit the post.

Olasagasti sealed the 5-2 in stoppage time. He headed in a ball set up by substitute Etta Eyong.

Home goalAway goalSubCard
  1. 24', Goal: 1-0 Dela, header from a corner
  2. 33', Goal: 1-1 Bartra, shot that caught Ryan off guard
  3. 45', Sub: Pérez off, Toljan on
  4. 47', Goal: 2-1 Bardeli, long-range shot that beat a wrongfooted Valles
  5. 49', Goal: 2-2 Riquelme, close-range finish unmarked near the six-yard box
  6. 55', Goal: 3-2 Brugué, headed finish arriving unmarked from deep
  7. 57', Sub: Isco off, Fornals on
  8. 57', Sub: Parrott off, Hernández on
  9. 64', Sub: Bardeli off, Sotelo on
  10. 67', Sub: Roca off, Deossa on
  11. 67', Sub: Riquelme off, García on
  12. 68', Card: Yellow card for Pablo García
  13. 70', Goal: 4-2 Brugué, pouncing on a loose ball after a Romero shot
  14. 71', Sub: Romero off, Eyong on
  15. 71', Sub: Fernández off, García on
  16. 74', Sub: Bernal off, Abde on
  17. 83', Sub: Brugué off, Cortés on
  18. 85', Card: Yellow card for Jeremy Toljan
  19. 95', Goal: 5-2 Olasagasti, headed finish beating Valles

The game plan

  1. High press from the start. Castro's plan was to unsettle Betis with Iván Romero leading the press from kick-off.
  2. Making the most of set pieces. The first goal comes from a rehearsed corner: Dela's header that catches Valles off guard.
  3. The bench decides it late on. Brugué scores his second by pouncing on a loose ball, and substitute Eyong sets up the fifth.
1Ryan2Pérez3Dela4Mandi5Sánchez6Bardeli7Rey8Olasagasti9Brugué10Romero11Fernández

Starting XI in 4-3-3

What the coach said

Luís Castro spoke to the press after the match, on 29 August 2026.

“The minimum required at Levante is to give your all. We won't win every match, but if a fan sees the players giving their all, they won't ask for more.” (translated from Spanish)Post-match press conference, 29 August 2026
“We knew we are stronger at home because of the fans' support, and the team has grown a lot in recent days.” (translated from Spanish)Post-match press conference, 29 August 2026

The substitutions

MinuteOffOnScore
45'PérezToljan1-1
64'BardeliSotelo3-2
71'RomeroEyong4-2
71'FernándezGarcía4-2
83'BruguéCortés4-2
Newsletter

The coach's Sunday summary

Open course calls, up-to-date guides and new posts. Free, with one-click unsubscribe.

Leave your email and get the next issue:

What a grassroots coach takes away

  • A high press needs persistence. Although Romero missed twice, Levante did not drop its intensity: in grassroots football it pays to stick with the plan after early misses.
  • Set pieces are trained, not improvised. Dela's goal came from a rehearsed corner: spending training time on corner-kick variations pays off in youth categories too.
  • A substitution with a clear purpose can decide a match. Eyong came on to add fresh depth and set up the fifth goal: swapping in a player with a specific job, not just as a like-for-like change, works at any level.

Matchdays 1 and 2 recap

  • Matchday 1: Luis Miguel Ramis (CA Osasuna) won 2-1 away at RC Celta, worth 3.82 points.
  • Matchday 2: Luis García (Sevilla FC) won 3-1 at Athletic Club, worth 3.07 points.

About the author

RutaMister logo
RutaMister Team
Editorial team

Content produced by RutaMister from practical experience, editorial review and a training-focused approach for grassroots football coaches.

Frequently asked questions

How are Coach of the Matchday points calculated?

Each coach starts from a base of 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. That base is multiplied by 1 + (own previous position − opponent previous position) / 40, capped between 0.5 and 1.8: the lower the team started and the higher the opponent, the bigger the multiplier.

Why does Luís Castro score 3.82 points and not 3?

Castro starts from a base of 3 points for winning at home. The multiplier is 1 + (16 − 5) / 40 = 1.275, because Levante started 16th and Betis 5th in the 2025/26 standings. Multiplying 3 × 1.275 gives the final 3.82 points.

Why does Luís Castro win instead of Quique Sánchez Flores if they tied on points?

Luís Castro and Quique Sánchez Flores both reached 3.82 points in matchday 3, but the model's tiebreak is the match's goal difference: Levante's 5-2 leaves Castro on +3, against Alavés's +1 in their 1-0 win. With the larger goal difference, the matchday goes to Castro.

Is this a fantasy game like Biwenger or Mister Fantasy?

No. Coach of the matchday is RutaMister's own editorial ranking of LaLiga head coaches, not players, and requires no squad-building or competing against other users. Biwenger, Mister Fantasy or Comunio are player fantasy games; this is an editorial piece about dugout management.

Sources