Espanyol and Deportivo A Coruña put their disappointing league form behind them and picked up important wins in the last round, with both teams looking to build momentum here and climb the La Liga table.
Match News and Current Form
Espanyol went into their last match not only having lost four of their last five La Liga outings (D1) and having suffered a shock Copa del Rey exit, but with a new manager at the helm. The ‘new manager bounce’ worked its magic though, with Eder Sarabia overseeing a 1-0 win at Villarreal to lift the Parakeets to 14th place ahead of the weekend. Next up for Sarabia is to help his Espanyol side win their first game at RCDE Stadium since the opening round of the season, with their four subsequent matches only producing a solitary point (D1, L3), albeit three of those games came against the pre-round top six.
Deportivo were on a six-game winless run not so long ago (D3, L3) until a 3-0 win against lower-league opposition Auriense in the Copa del Rey and a 2-1 La Liga victory over Osasuna in the last round got them back on track. They begin the round on the tails of the top six but there are hints they may potentially struggle here, since the Blue and Whites have lost their last two away league outings and are winless in their last 19 top-flight away games against Catalan teams (D5, L14)! Antonio Hidalgo’s men have, however, shown they can overcome adversity if needed, as Deportivo have gained the joint-most points from losing positions in La Liga this season with eight, level with Villarreal.
Head-to-Head History
Espanyol are unbeaten in the last five H2Hs in La Liga (W3, D2) and are undefeated in the last nine top-flight encounters at home, conceding just three times (W7, D2).
Hot Stats and Streaks
Eight of Espanyol’s last 11 matches saw both teams score.
Espanyol have conceded after the 75th minute in their last four home league matches.
None of Deportivo’s last eight league games were decided by a 2+ goal margin.
Deportivo haven’t scored a first-half goal in their last seven top-flight matches.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Notching seven assists this La Liga season, Espanyol’s Javi Hernández will be desperate for his first goal of the campaign and might fancy his chances here considering seven of his last eight goals have come at home. In-form Deportivo player Bil Nsongo will be hopeful of dealing the first blow, since he’s netted the match opener in four of his last five goalscoring appearances for club or country.
Espanyol defender Roger Hinojo will be serving a suspension here, while Deportivo continue without the services of the injured Bright Ede and Marc Casadó.
For all the latest team news, please check the ScoresStat match centre.
Betting Analysis
Espanyol’s shaky home form coupled with Deportivo’s tendency to fall short against Catalan clubs point to this match potentially resulting in a draw.
Author: Peter Stavrinou
