Espanyol vs Valencia Prediction

A massive relegation clash in La Liga as 18th placed Espanyol host bottom of the table Valencia in a game that is must win for both. A win could lift Espanyol out of the relegation zone whilst Valencia will be desperate to close the gap between them and safety, which sits currently at 6 points.

Both sides have not had seasons to remember so far, and as La Liga approaches its halfway mark, both sides will be keen to put their awful starts behind them and begin to take strong momentum into the beginning of 2025, where they hope to pull themselves away from danger.

Key Stats

• Espanyol Haven't scored in their last 3 matches
• Espanyol and Valencia have drawn their last 3 matches against each other
• Both teams have only won 1 of their previous 5 La Liga matches
• Valencia have lost both of their last 2 La Liga matches 1-0

Team Previews, Form and Standout Players

Espanyol will be looking to gain their 5th win of the season to lift them out of the bottom three, with all 4 of their previous wins coming at home in 2024/25. The visitors come into this match at the bottom of the La Liga table, having endured one of the worst runs of form in their recent history. Valencia have only two wins and six draws in their last 22 league games, spanning from the end of the last season into this one.

Espanyol Preview

Predicted Lineup: Joan Garcia; Brian Oliván, L. Cabrera M. Kumbulla, Álvaro Tejero; Carlos Romero, J. Smith, Pol Lozano, A. Král, Antoniu Roca; Javier Puardo, Irvin Cardona

Espanyol will be without Pol Lozano, who is suspended, and Jose Gragera, who is out due to injury. The Catalans are in dire need of a positive result, currently sitting 18th in the league. They have had a really challenging season so far, with recent losses against teams like Barcelona, Sevilla and Real Madrid. A positive home result over bottom of the table Valencia will be seen as a must for manager Manolo Gonzalez.

Valencia Preview

Predicted Lineup: S. Dimitrievski; Jesús Vázquez, Cristhian Mosquera, César Tárrega, D. Foulquier; Luis Rioja, Javi Guerra, Pepelu, Fran Pérez; Hugo Duro, Diego Lopez

The visitors have several absentees with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jose Gaya, Thierry Correia, and Mouctar Diakhaby all sidelined due to injuries. They face a challenge with their current squad depth issues. Expect them to possibly employ a more defensive setup to counter Espanyol's positive home form, looking for opportunities on the break or through set pieces, something Espanyol will have to be careful with.

Head To Head Stats: Espanyol vs Valencia

28 May 2023 LaLiga Valencia 2 - 2 Espanyol

2 October 2022 LaLiga Espanyol 2 - 2 Valencia

14 May 2022 LaLiga Espanyol 1 - 1 Valencia

31 December 2021 LaLiga Valencia 1 - 2 Espanyol

16 July 2020 LaLiga Valencia 1 - 0 Espanyol

Betting Tips For Espanyol vs Valencia

This match looks to be a cagey affair, especially inside the firs 45 minutes. Espanyol have had a decent run of home form as of late which might help them sway this match in their favour in the second half.

For that reason, our betting experts have gone with Half Time/Full Time Result Draw/Espanyol as our best value tip for this game.

Odds of 9/2 mean that a £10 bet has the potential to return up to £55 in this match.

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction: Espanyol vs Valencia

Espanyol 1-0 Valencia

This would be the third 1-0 defeat in a row for Valencia, but with both sides struggling for goals, and desperate for a result, we can see it being a very close game, with the Catalan side edging it in the second period.