In a decisive match at the bottom of the table, Espanyol (18th) will host Valencia (bottom of the table in 20th place) at the RCDE stadium on Wednesday, within the framework of round 17 of La Liga season 2024-25.
The hosts currently have 14 points and a 0-0 draw with Osasuna on 14 December left them two points behind Deportivo Alaves (17th and currently occupying the last safe spot), while Valencia suffered a 0-1 defeat to Real Valladolid on 13 December and have just 10 points after 15 games.
Latest Espanyol vs Valencia team information
Espanyol will be without midfielders Pol Lozano and Jose Gragera due to suspension and injury, respectively. Gragera will not be available until January.
Alex Kral partnered Lozano in midfield against Osasuna, but is likely to join young talent Rafael Bauza next Wednesday.
In defense, center back Marash Kumbulla is also absent due to suspension. Coach Gonzalez may use center back pair Leandro Cabrera and Sergi Gomez as replacements.
On the other side of the front line, Valencia suffered a big loss when full-back Thierry Correia had to sit out until next season due to a cruciate ligament injury he suffered in early November. In addition, Jose Gaya also cannot return before January.
Center-back Mouctar Diakhaby is doubtful to play, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will be absent until the end of December. Therefore, coach Baraja will likely deploy a defense consisting of Dimitri Foulquier, Cesar Tarrega, Cristhian Mosquera and Jesus Vazquez, in front of goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
The duo Pepelu and Javier Guerra will take on the role in midfield, supporting the striker pair Diego Lopez and Hugo Duro in attack.
Latest predicted lineup for Espanyol vs Valencia
Espanyol:
Garcia; Tejero, Gomez, Cabrera, Olivan; Roca, Kral, Bauza, Romero; Cardona, Puado
Valencia:
Dimitrievsky; Foulquier, Tarrega, Mosquera, Vazquez; Perez, Pepelu, Guerra, Rioja; Lopez, Duro
Latest football commentary on Espanyol vs Valencia
Espanyol's match against Osasuna was a lacklustre affair as neither team created any dangerous chances, but coach Manolo Gonzalez was pleased that his team's goalkeeper did not have to make any saves.
Espanyol had failed to keep a clean sheet in five consecutive games and had only prevented opponents from scoring three times in 18 games this season. The Catalans had scored 15 goals but conceded 28, a record that left them with the fourth-worst attack and second-worst defence in La Liga.
However, Espanyol still won 4 points in the last 3 rounds, despite having lost 7 of their 8 matches in La Liga. Espanyol's home form has brought some optimism as they have won 4 of their last 7 matches at RCDE Stadium, drawing 1 and losing the remaining 2.
As for Valencia, the defeat to Real Valladolid certainly disappointed fans. The team conceded a goal from the opponent's only shot on target in the 20th minute and could not even take advantage of the extra man advantage in the final 12 minutes of the match.
Valencia have not been relegated since 1986-87, but on current form they are on course for just 25 points, their worst return since being relegated at the end of 1985-86.
Under coach Ruben Baraja, Valencia have the third-worst attack in La Liga with just 13 goals scored. However, their defence is only seventh in goals conceded, averaging 1.5 goals per game.
Valencia have won three of their last six games in all competitions, but have lost two in a row. In La Liga, they have lost three in a row and won just one of their last nine games.
More worryingly, Valencia's away form is alarming as they have lost 8 and drawn 3 of their last 11 away trips in La Liga.
Score prediction Espanyol vs Valencia
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the match Espanyol vs Valencia :
- Sportsmole: Espanyol 2-1 Valencia
- WhoScore: Espanyol 2-0 Valencia
- Our prediction: Espanyol 2-1 Valencia
When and where to watch Espanyol vs Valencia live?
To watch the match between Espanyol vs Valencia live in La Liga at 3:30 a.m. on December 19, viewers can watch on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wishing viewers happy moments of watching football.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/nhan-dinh-du-doan-espanyol-vs-valencia-cach-biet-1-ban-237191.html
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