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, Abdulaye Djuma Bah – Kike Perez, Mario Martin, Stanko Juric – Marcos Andre, Anuar Tuhami, Raul Moro.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is provided.
Espanyol
Manolo Gonzalez's side is among the bottom three, but they are only one point away from the safe 17th spot. The Catalans dropped into the relegation zone after a five-match winless streak in La Liga, where they recorded three draws and two losses. Notably, in the last five league matches, the team has only scored two goals. The defense isn't faring much better: after the first half of the season, the club has conceded 31 goals, with only Valladolid having a worse defensive record in La Liga (37 goals).
- Espanyol has secured just one win in their last 10 La Liga matches (3 draws and 6 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in 7 of Espanyol's last 8 La Liga games.
- The Catalans have not scored in the second half in their last five league matches.
Valladolid
Valladolid secured a 1-0 home victory over Real Betis in the last round. This marked their fourth win in this La Liga campaign and third at home. However, in their previous nine league matches, the club managed just 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 safe 17th spot 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 club's last 13 league games.
- Valladolid has scored just 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. For both clubs, defeating a direct rival in the battle for La Liga survival is crucial. In such encounters, the home stadium often becomes a key factor. In the last four head-to-head meetings in La Liga, the Catalans have won three times at home, with the visitors prevailing only once.
Additionally, Espanyol poses a threat to their opponents at home. In the current league campaign, the Catalans have earned 15 of their 16 points at Cornella-El Prat, while Valladolid has only claimed three of their 15 points away from home. It's also worth noting that Valladolid has lost 11 of their last 13 away La Liga matches (1 win and 1 draw). Furthermore, the visitors have conceded more goals than any other team in away matches this season – 25 goals in nine games.
My prediction: Espanyol to win
