Heavy blow forces Gerard Martin off the pitch against Levante

Gerard Martin, a player for FC Barcelona, suffered a heavy blow to the face during the match against Levante after colliding with the elbow of Victor Garcia in an uncontrolled manner, causing the Catalan player to bleed and forcing him to receive treatment off the pitch.

FC Barcelona were two goals up at half-time, before Levante increased their intensity in search of a comeback, leading to several players from the Catalan side requiring medical attention.

One of the most notable incidents occurred when Victor Garcia was battling Gerard Martin for the ball, before the Levante player excessively moved his arm while attempting to break away on a counter-attack, colliding his elbow with the face of the FC Barcelona defender.

Gerard Martin collapsed on the pitch while bleeding, as the referee did not call a foul and allowed play to continue despite the force of the collision.

The medical staff had to take the player off the pitch to stop the bleeding, and FC Barcelona played with ten men for a period until Gerard Martin recovered. After receiving a yellow card in a later incident, Hans Flick decided to substitute him at half-time to avoid worsening his condition.

Gerard Martin was not the only player to suffer a heavy blow, as Xavi Espart received a hit to the stomach just minutes later that left him unable to breathe for a few seconds, and he had to leave the pitch temporarily.