There is a Catalan derby in La Liga on Monday night, with Espanyol welcoming Girona to Stage Front Stadium.
Espanyol, who are 15th in the La Liga table, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 success over Alaves, while 13th-placed Girona drew 2-2 with Celta Vigo last time out to stretch their winless run in the top flight of Spanish football to four matches.
Match preview
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Espanyol have been beaten in just one of their last seven matches in Spain's top flight, with that run including a return of four points from their last two games, drawing at home to Athletic Bilbao before beating Alaves.
Manolo Gonzalez's side are 15th in the La Liga table, boasting a record of seven wins, six draws and 12 defeats from 25 matches, which has left them three points clear of 19th-placed Las Palmas.
The White and Blues are bidding to make it back-to-back seasons in La Liga, having earned promotion from the Segunda Division playoffs last term, and their recent performances have been very encouraging in terms of their survival hopes.
Espanyol have lost their last two matches against Catalan rivals Girona, including a 4-1 reverse earlier this season, but the last top-flight game between the two sides at the home of Espanyol finished 2-2 in January 2023.
Gonzalez's team are unbeaten in their last seven games in front of their own fans, and they have overcome Real Madrid and drawn with Athletic Bilbao in their last two matches on home soil.
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Girona, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 2-2 draw with Celta, with that result ending a three-game losing run.
Michel's side have not been victorious since a 2-1 success over Las Palmas at the start of the month, and they are currently in 13th spot in the table, picking up 32 points from their opening 26 matches of the campaign.
Girona are only actually five points ahead of Espanyol, and there is a danger that the team could slide towards the bottom three if their poor form continues, with this season being an underwhelming one considering their success in 2023-24.
Indeed, the White and Reds finished third in La Liga last season to qualify for the Champions League, but Europe has taken a lot out of them this term, while there have also been a lot of injury issues in the squad.
Girona have lost seven of their 13 away league matches this season, recording just three wins in the process, while they have only scored 10 times on their travels in Spain's top flight during the 2024-25 campaign.
Team News
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Espanyol will again be without the services of Fernando Pacheco on Monday night due to a thigh problem, while Pere Milla and Jose Gragera are doubts for the Catalan outfit.
There is currently speculation surrounding the futures of Joan Garcia and Omar El Hilali, with the pair proving to be impressive performers for Gonzalez's side this season, and both will start this fixture.
Roberto Fernandez has been the first-choice forward since arriving on loan from Braga, and the Spaniard will again feature through the middle, with Javi Puado and Jofre Carreras set to continue in the wide areas.
Girona, meanwhile, have a doubt over the availability of Abel Ruiz, as the striker is dealing with a muscular issue.
The visitors did not suffer any issues in their clash with Celta last time out, though, and it could be the same XI that takes to the field on Monday evening, including a spot through the middle for Bojan Miovski.
Bryan Gil is likely to retain his position in the final third of the field despite pressure from Portu and Yaser Asprilla, while Arthur and Ivan Martin are also set to be among the substitutes for the first whistle.
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Gonzalez; Carreras, Kral, Puado; Fernandez
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; D Lopez, Krejci, Blind; A Martinez, Herrera, Romeu, Gutierrez; Tsygankov, Miovski, Gil
We say: Espanyol 1-0 Girona
Girona have struggled on their travels this season, and they will be coming up against an Espanyol outfit that have six home league victories to their name this term; we are expecting a narrow home success here, which would move the White and Blues further clear of the relegation zone.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
