A debut to remember, for all the right reasons in the end

Ifeanyi Ndukwe's first start in La Liga had everything. An early howler, a comeback for the ages, and a 100th-minute equaliser that kept Levante out of the relegation zone. Not bad for an 18-year-old playing his first full match in Spanish football.

The Liverpool loanee gifted Sevilla their opener by playing a short backpass to goalkeeper Mat Ryan that Robbie Ure intercepted before rounding the keeper to score. For a young defender, that kind of moment can unravel you. Ndukwe, to his enormous credit, refused to let it. He stayed on the pitch, stayed in the fight, and ultimately wrote himself into the story in the best possible way.

Levante had dragged themselves back from 2-0 down through Ivan Romero, and then Adrian de la Fuente looked to have nicked a point in the 92nd minute before Isaac Romero, not related, smashed in a stunning strike from distance to put Sevilla back in front. Then Romero was sent off seconds later for a 'silence' gesture towards Levante supporters, earning a second yellow card. Levante made the man advantage count. A double-save from Odysseas Vlachodimos was followed by Ndukwe burying the rebound. Final score: 3-3.

What Luis Castro said about Ndukwe's mentality

Levante manager Luis Castro was unequivocal in his assessment of the teenager after the final whistle, and the praise went well beyond the usual platitudes a manager offers a youngster who has done well.

"First, a player of his age who makes a mistake and continues playing with the personality he showed, keeping the ball, attacking without any fear, it shows you what he can become one day," Castro said at his post-match press conference. "He is not a player who, after the error… a player with a weak mentality doesn't play the game he played, the duels he won, how he defended, how he attacked, how he went forward. He is a player who has great potential I think. If he has a normal development, he can be one of the best in the world in his position."

That is a serious statement. Castro knows that context matters, and he framed it carefully, but when a manager looks at a teenager who has just made a costly error in a top-flight match and still arrives at that conclusion, it tells you something real about what he saw on that pitch.

The Liverpool picture, and where Elliott fits in

Ndukwe joined Levante on loan after failing to qualify for a work permit to play for Liverpool, though his debut appearance for the club last month gave him enough points to clear the threshold. The Reds will also have an exemption spot available from February, and crucially retain the option to recall Ndukwe in January should they wish. That flexibility matters, and you would imagine Liverpool will be watching his progress with considerable interest.

Elsewhere in La Liga, fellow Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott came off the bench for Valencia in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander. Elliott is yet to start for the club, but new Valencia manager Javier Aguirre has already singled him out for encouragement. "I saw him, Hugo Duro, Dani Raba, and Elliott looking very good since I arrived," Aguirre said. "Seeing their numbers, they hadn't been playing, so I said they have to play, they have to play." Elliott has made four substitute appearances for Valencia so far, which already matches his entire Premier League appearance tally from his loan spell at Aston Villa last season.

Two Liverpool loanees, both finding their feet in Spain at different speeds. Ndukwe's 100th-minute header may have just accelerated his journey considerably.