The decisive moment came in the 57th minute, when Georges Mikautadze struck the only goal of the game after a well-worked move. Played in behind by Pape Gueye, the Georgian forward combined quickly with Nicolas Pepe in a sharp one-two before firing a low shot into the bottom corner. Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan had been drawn out of position, and Mikautadze made no mistake.

The victory was an important response after last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Getafe. Marcelino stressed the significance of both the result and the clean sheet, particularly against a Levante side sitting 19th and fighting for survival.

"Whenever you come from a defeat, it's important to win the next match and we knew we were coming to a tough ground," he said.

"The opponent had everything to play for, and winning away from home now in the final third of the competition is always very, very difficult.

"We're very happy with the victory, satisfied because after so many matches we kept a clean sheet. I think that's an important boost for the whole team and specifically for the back line."

Marcelino admitted the performance was not perfect. Villarreal created chances to seal the match but failed to take them, which led to nervy moments late on as Levante pushed forward with long balls.

"We had chances to seal the win and we didn't take them," he said. "When this happens and you play away from home with a 0-1 lead, you usually suffer."

After 24 matchdays, Villarreal sit third on 48 points, three ahead of Atletico Madrid and 10 behind second-placed Barcelona. Despite recent dips in form and pressure across competitions, Marcelino remained positive.

"After 24 matchdays, being in third place and having 48 points, we're doing well enough," he said. "It's normal to have highs and lows."

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