The match of matchday 20 of the La Liga between Espanyol and Girona will take place on 16 January at the Cornella-El Prat stadium in Barcelona. Espanyol vs Girona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Espanyol
Espanyol have not won yet in 2026. Recently the home side put together their best winning run in La Liga in the 21st century, remaining unbeaten for five games, but now the home side have taken just one point from the last two rounds. After a painful derby defeat to Barcelona the home side failed to beat relegation-threatened Levante (1:1). It should be noted that the team have conceded in three consecutive league matches, although earlier in the competition the team kept three clean sheets in a row. The home side remain in fifth place in the table, their gap to fourth has been reduced to four points, and only now do the hosts no longer have a game in hand.
- No more than 2 goals were scored in 5 of the club's last 6 La Liga matches.
- The team have not lost in 6 of their previous 7 La Liga meetings (5 wins, 1 draw).
- Espanyol's uncompromising home run in this competition lasts 6 matches (3 wins, 3 defeats).
Potential Espanyol Lineup
Marko Dmitrović – Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero, Omar El Hilali – Urko González, Jofre Carreras, Edu Expósito, Tayris Dolan – Pere Milla, Kike García.
Midfielder Pau Lozano may return to the squad after suspension.
Girona
Girona have significantly improved their league position in recent weeks. In their last La Liga match Girona narrowly beat Osasuna (1:0); that victory was the second in a row and the third in four recent La Liga matches. By comparison, before that Girona had won only 2 of their first 15 matches in the current La Liga season. Now the team have not only left the relegation zone but have climbed to 13th place in the table. In terms of points Girona are already closer to eighth than to 18th. At the same time Girona remain the most unreliable club in La Liga this season, having conceded a total of 34 goals so far in the tournament.
- Girona have scored in 10 of their last 12 league meetings.
- Girona's uncompromising run in La Liga has reached 5 matches (3 wins, 2 defeats).
- The club have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 away matches in this competition.
Potential Girona Lineup
Paulo Gazzaniga – Hugo Rincon, Daley Blind, Vitor Reis, Alex Moreno – Arnau Martínez, Iván Martín, Bryan Gil, Viktor Tsygankov, Thomas Lemar – Vladyslav Vanat.
Midfielder Lass Kuruma is suspended. Due to injuries goalkeeper Juan Carlos Martín, midfielders Azzedine Ounahi and Donny van de Beek, and forwards Abel Ruiz and Portu are unavailable.
Referee
Iosu Galech Apestegi (Spain)
Matches – 10 (La Liga, 2025/26);
Yellow cards (including second yellows) – 46;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;
Red cards shown – 3;
Fouls per match on average – 28;
Penalties – 30%.
Espanyol vs Girona: Match Prediction
Espanyol have noticeably slowed down compared with the powerful run at the end of last year. In the first half of January the team have taken only one point from two La Liga matches, and while the defeat to Barcelona can be called non-critical, the draw with a lacklustre Levante from the bottom of the table was an avoidable slip. Now the hosts will face an uncomfortable opponent. Espanyol have not won in five head-to-head La Liga meetings in a row (3 draws, 2 defeats). At home the hosts have yet to win, taking only 2 points from their previous four matches in this competition.
Girona are in good form and are currently producing their best run of the season. In the last four league rounds the visitors have taken three wins – more than they had after the first 15 La Liga matches (2). Since early November the visitors have suffered only two defeats in eight La Liga matches. The team have left the relegation zone and created a comfortable gap, so they can now aim for a place in the top half of the table.
We think the visitors in their current form are capable of giving a fight to a tiring Espanyol.
Prediction: Girona (+1)
* The starting lineup for each team is shown from its previous match in this competition.