Espanyol vs Real Valladolid Predictions & Match Preview

Espanyol vs Real Valladolid predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Diego Martinez seeks a first home win as Espanyol boss.

Espanyol vs Real Valladolid Preview

Espanyol and Real Valladolid face off this Sunday in LaLiga. Both sides have avoided defeat in their last two matches but still find themselves in the bottom eight heading into this weekend.

A relegation battle was certainly not what Espanyol fans had in mind this season following the exciting appointment of Diego Martinez. However a return of 6 points from 8 games suggests they have some notable flaws and will need to find some form if they want to steer clear of the scrap at the bottom.

Their biggest problem so far has been in goal. Both Benjamin Lecomte and Alvaro Fernandez arrived in the summer but both have been responsible for comical errors in recent weeks that have been costly for Espanyol in 2-2 draws against Valencia and Cadiz. On a brighter note, things do appear to be clicking in the final third with Joselu already netting 6 times and looking right at home in this team.

Real Valladolid’s main challenge here will be to keep him quiet whilst trying to limit the creative influence of Sergi Darder in midfield. At the other end, it’s clear that Espanyol are not an impossible team to break down, but the visitors are going to need to show a bit more imagination than they did in a goalless draw against 10-man Real Betis last weekend.

They can take more confidence from a 3-2 win at Getafe in their last away game with Sergio Leon’s brace in that match pushing him to the front of the queue for the right to lead the line. It does feel like Real Valladolid are still a bit short in the final third but they haven’t looked totally out of their depth at this level with plenty of experienced players like Roque Mesa helping them make the transition to a higher league.

Like their opponents, Real Valladolid also have question marks around the goalkeeper position. Sergio Asenjo may be fit again for this game but after a series of unconvincing displays, Pacheta could decide to stick with Jordi Masip as his number one.

Team News & Possible Lineups

Espanyol

Possible XI: Lecomte – Olivan, Cabrera, Gomez, Gil – Exposito, Darder, Souza – Puado, Joselu, Vidal (4-3-3)

Coach: Diego Martinez

Real Valladolid

Possible XI: Masip – Escudero, Javi Sanchez, Joaquin, Fresneda – Aguado, Mesa, Kike Perez – Plano, Leon, Ivan Sanchez (4-3-3)

Coach: Pacheta

Score Prediction: Espanyol 2-1 Real Valladolid

If they can avoid individual errors and their goalkeeper can get through 90 minutes without any major blunders, Espanyol should have enough to record just their second win of the season. It’s a bit clearer now what Diego Martinez is looking to do with this team and if they can tighten up defensively, it shouldn’t be long before they start climbing the table.

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.