Without a win in four, Espanyol welcome Real Valladolid to the RCDE Stadium on Sunday, looking to put an end to their recent defensive woes.
The hosts were held to a 2-2 draw by Cadiz last weekend, while the visitors will be rueing missed chances in their 0-0 draw with 10-man Real Betis.
Match preview
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For the neutral, Diego Martinez's Espanyol are probably the side to watch in LaLiga right now. Having scored 11 and conceded 16, no club have been involved in more goals in the Spanish top flight this campaign.
Their last two fixtures in particular, both 2-2 draws with Valencia and Cadiz respectively, were full of quality and calamity in equal measure, as first Alvaro Fernandez, and then Benjamin Lecomte, were responsible for goalkeeping howlers to undo all the hard work at the other end of the pitch.
One constant in a chaotic Espanyol side, however, has been Joselu, with six goals in eight LaLiga appearances so far this campaign. Joining the club in the summer, the 32-year-old has settled in admirably, and provided two fantastic finishes at Cadiz last weekend to make sure that Los Pericos came away with a point.
Behind him, the excellent Sergi Darder continues to pull the strings in the middle of the park, while new signings Edu Exposito and Vinicius Souza are looking increasingly comfortable with each passing game.
Martinez is one of the brightest young coaches in the Spanish game, having led Granada to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2021, and will be relishing the challenge of turning a talented squad of players into consistent performers who can push for the top half as the season wears on.
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The visitors can be relatively happy with their start to the season after gaining promotion last year, with eight points from eight games leaving them perched safely above the early relegation mire.
A 0-0 draw with Real Betis last weekend was slightly disappointing, given that the visitors were reduced to 10 men after 35 minutes, but the previous week's 3-2 away win over Getafe proved that Los Blanquivioletas are capable of picking up tricky points on the road.
Eight of the 10 starting outfield players that day took at least one shot on goal, reflecting the positivity and ambition of Pacheta, a coach renowned for his intensity, and his ability to get relegation-threatened teams playing attractive, free-flowing football.
Nonetheless, Pucela have fallen flat on a few occasions this term, with a home defeat to Cadiz before the international break showing that profligacy in front of goal will be punished on their return to the top flight.
Team News
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The hosts have been without flying full-back Adria Pedrosa this season as he recovers from an operation, while Nico Melamed and Ruben Sanchez are both doubts.
Martin Braithwaite continues his suspension after his straight red against Valencia, allowing Javi Puado to come into the side.
Valladolid, on the other hand, have been plagued with injuries this campaign, and will be without exciting wingers Gonzalo Plata (hip) and Kenedy (groin) yet again.
Moroccan international Anuar Tuhami has torn his anterior cruciate ligament, and will almost certainly miss the rest of the season, while centre-back Jawad El Yamiq pulled his hamstring at the start of the month, and looks likely to be unavailable again here.
Star striker Shon Weissman has been granted leave from training this week for personal reasons, so it remains to be seen whether he will be back for this important clash.
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Olivan, Cabrera, Gomez, Calero; Darder, Souza; Puado, Exposito, Vidal; Joselu
Real Valladolid possible starting lineup:
Masip; Escudero, Sanchez, Joaquin, Fresneda; Perez, Mesa, Aguado; Plano, Weissman, Leon
We say: Espanyol 2-2 Real Valladolid
In what promises to be another entertaining game, we are predicting a third consecutive score draw for Espanyol.
Joselu has scored in his last three home games, and should cause problems for Pacheta's men, while the visitors' shoot-on-sight policy means that we are likely see goals at both ends.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
