Espanyol vs Valencia predictions, H2H and match preview for this Saturday’s game in La Liga. Read on for analysis and predicted line-ups as Pablo Machin’s side target their first home points of the season.
Espanyol vs Valencia Preview
Two teams that could really do with a morale boosting victory meet in Barcelona in the first of the weekend games in La Liga. Espanyol are still looking for their first home points of the season and will be desperate to at least avoid a sixth straight league loss at the RCDE Stadium. Meanwhile an unconvincing Valencia side are also looking to avert a worrying decline in form.
It’s two wins and two defeats so far for Pablo Machin as Espanyol boss. One of those victories did come in Europe and the other was a 1-0 win at Levante last weekend. However a heavy midweek defeat in Bilbao leaves Machin with plenty of food for thought heading into this match. Espanyol’s home record of five defeats from five is all the more worrying when you consider that this will be their first home game against one of last season’s top four.
Valencia aren’t playing much like a top four outfit right now though. They’ve not won any of their last four games and the performances have been as bad as the results in some of those games with recent away showings at Lille and Osasuna leaving a lot to be desired. Los Che find themselves in the bottom half and defeat here would really increase the pressure on Albert Celades who was always going to be faced with a tough job given the circumstances in which he was appointed.
One positive for Valencia is the state of the Espanyol injury list. Due to their European commitments they’ve played more games than any other team in La Liga and they are currently without six players due to injury including Jonathan Calleri and Fernando Calero. The visitors’ problems in that regard appear to be easing and they are also boosted by the returns of Rodrigo Moreno and Denis Cheryshev from bans for this one.
Espanyol vs Valencia Predictions
Score Prediction: 1-0 Valencia
Espanyol’s home record is so bad that’s impossible to feel confident about their chances. With their squad stretched to the very limit, fatigue may also be starting to become a factor for some players and if Valencia can manage to get through the game without being reduced to ten men (as has happened in 3 of their last 4 games), they look capable of winning it.
Espanyol vs Valencia H2H
- Last 6 meetings: 4 Valencia Wins, 1 Espanyol Win, 1 Draw.
- Espanyol took 4 points off Valencia last season including a 2-0 win at the RCDE Stadium.
- However they’d lost 5 on the bounce against Los Che prior to that.
- The last 6 meetings in Barcelona have produced 3 wins each.
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Predicted Line Ups
Espanyol Team:
Diego Lopez – Lluis Lopez, Naldo, Espinosa – Gomez, Darder, Roca, Sanchez, Vila – Vargas, Ferreyra (3-5-2)
Valencia Team:
Cillessen – Gaya, Paulista, Garay, Wass – Soler, Coquelin, Parejo – Cheryshev, Gomez, Rodrigo (4-3-3)
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