The Matchday 20 clash in La Liga between Espanyol and Valladolid will take place on January 17 at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium in Barcelona. Espanyol vs. Valladolid: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Espanyol vs. Valladolid
Espanyol (4-1-4-1): Joan Garcia – Omar El Hilali, Leandro Cabrera, Brian Olivan, Marash Kumbulla – Pol Lozano – Antonio Roca, Alex Kral, Alvaro Tejero, Javi Puado – Jofre Carreras.
Valladolid (4-3-3): Karl Hein – Javi Sanchez, Luis Perez, Lucas Rosa, Abdulai Juma Bah – Kike Perez, Mario Martin, Stanko Juric – Marcos Andre, Anuar Tuhami, Raul Moro.
Each team's starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Espanyol
Manolo Gonzalez's side is among the bottom three, trailing the safety of 17th place by just one point. The Catalans slipped into the relegation zone after a five-match winless streak in La Liga, which included three draws and two losses. Notably, in their last five league games, the team has scored only two goals. The defense is not faring much better: after the first half of the season, they have conceded 31 goals, with only Valladolid having a worse defensive record in La Liga (37 goals).
- In their last 10 La Liga matches, Espanyol has secured only one victory (3 draws and 6 losses).
- The number "1" appeared in the final scoreline in 7 of Espanyol's last 8 La Liga games.
- The Catalans have not scored in the second half of their last five league matches.
Valladolid
In the last round, Valladolid defeated Betis 1-0 at home. This was their fourth win in the current La Liga season and their third at home. However, in their previous nine league matches, the team managed only two wins (1 draw and 6 losses). Due to these poor results, Diego Cocca's side remains in the relegation zone but has reduced the gap to the safety of 17th place to two points.
- At least one team failed to score in 5 of Valladolid's last 6 La Liga matches.
- Two or more goals have been scored in 10 of the team's last 13 league games.
- Valladolid has scored only two first-half goals in their last 12 away La Liga matches.
Espanyol vs. Valladolid: Match Prediction
Both teams are aiming for three points in the upcoming match. It's crucial for both clubs to defeat a close rival in the battle for La Liga survival. In such encounters, the home stadium often becomes a decisive factor. In their last four head-to-head meetings in La Liga, the Catalans have won three times at home, with the visitors prevailing only once.
Moreover, Espanyol poses a significant threat to their opponents at home. In the current season, the Catalans have earned 15 of their 16 points at Cornella-El Prat, whereas Valladolid has collected only three of their 15 points away from home. It's also worth noting that in their last 13 away La Liga matches, Valladolid has suffered 11 defeats (1 win and 1 draw). Additionally, the visitors have conceded more goals than any other team in the league during away matches – 25 goals in nine games.
My prediction – Espanyol to win