Espanyol vs Valencia predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Los Che travel to the RCDE Stadium.
| Date | Sunday 2nd October 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 14:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | RCDE Stadium |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Espanyol vs Valencia Preview
Espanyol and Valencia meet in what promises to be an interesting clash to kick off Sunday’s action in LaLiga. Both sides are in the process of establishing their best elevens under new management and both might be expected to be hovering around mid-table this term, although Valencia’s bright start suggests they may be targeting slightly more.
There have been fewer reasons for Espanyol fans to get excited. They certainly welcomed the appointment of Diego Martinez as a really positive move and they appeared to do some smart business although the unfortunate Raul De Tomas saga lingered a bit longer than it probably should have. With the striker now a Rayo Vallecano player, there are no excuses for Espanyol or Martinez and they need to start putting results on the board.
A return of 4 points from 6 games to date certainly isn’t great. Defensive frailties have been evident with 12 goals conceded already. The addition of Alvaro Fernandez feels like a positive in goal but their back four hasn’t looked entirely convincing and could have perhaps done with a bit more investment in the summer.
As for Valencia, at the very least it feels like they are going to be a good watch this season with a more positive coach and some exciting young players. Whether they are going to be consistent enough to mount a serious European challenge is more debatable but they’ve been worthy of the plaudits they’ve received for dominant recent wins over Getafe and Celta Vigo.
They could afford to leave the likes of Gabriel Paulista and Nico Gonzalez on the bench in that game which also suggests they have slightly more depth this term even if there have been some very significant departures. The midfield is taking shape nicely with André Almeida, Hugo Guillamón and Ilaix Moriba completing a youthful trio in the last game while fellow youngsters Nico and Yunus Musah have also impressed at times this season.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Espanyol
| INJURED | Sanchez |
| DOUBTFUL | Gil, Pedrosa, Bare, Lazo |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Fernandez – Olivan, Cabrera, Calero, Gil – Exposito, Darder, Souza – Puado, Joselu, Braithwaite (4-3-3)
Coach: Diego Martinez
Valencia
| INJURED | Domenech |
| DOUBTFUL | Musah |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Mamardashvili – Gaya, Diakhaby, Paulista, Correia – Ilaix, Guillamon, Almeida – Lino, Cavani, Castillejo (4-3-3)
Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
Score Prediction: Espanyol 2-2 Valencia
Valencia are playing with the energy and confidence of youth at the moment and if older heads such as Edinson Cavani can have a good season, they are going to be really competitive this term. Espanyol haven’t been great so far but we may see something of a reaction from what is a much changed team after a useful fortnight on the training ground and they ought to get a result here.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
