The fans have already been given a glimpse of the exciting football that lies ahead of them in the La Liga last weekend, and they will be treated to more, as Eibar welcome Bilbao this Sunday, in a search for three points. On the other hand, Espanyol plays host to Leganes, who will be hoping to continue on their win in the first game week of the season. we have prepared match previews for both these clashes so that our readers are updated with all the latest team info.
EIBAR vs. ATHLETIC BILBAO
Three-way: 1: Eibar +170; X: +231 Draw: 2: Atletico Madrid +210
Spread: Eibar; Atletico Madrid
Total: Over; Under
EIBAR
Considering the size of the club and the resources available, Eibar showed impressive improvement last season, as they finished 10th in the La Liga, ahead of the likes of Malaga and Valencia. Looking at the stats, one would find it difficult to believe that they managed to climb up this high in the league. They had a decent attack, which managed to score 56 goals in the 38 La Liga matches. Their defense also wasn’t the strongest, as they conceded 51 goals in the league. However, Eibar had relied on edging out matches through one goal or so, and will probably rely on this philosophy for the coming season too.
They have added a number of new players to their squad with the hopes of keeping the existing players more competitive and avoid seeing a drop in performances. They have added Sporting defender Paulo Oliviera for 3.5 million while spending 1 million Euros each on midfielder Joan Jordan from Espanyol and keeper Marko Dmitrovic from Alcorcon. Another million Euros were spent on bringing in Yoel Rodriguez from Valencia and Ivan Allejo from Alcorcon. They have added the experienced forward Charles from Malaga and Pable Hervias from Sociedad, along with Jose Angel from Porto on free transfers.
Eibar had a mixed preseason, with moments of both positivity and negativity. They played ten club friendly matches, out of which, they won six, and lost the other four. During this run of games, they scored 19 goals, which indicates towards able attacking capabilities in the squad. At the same time, they conceded 11 goals, which shows that there is room for improvement in defense.
Eibar is currently having a mini crisis due to injury woes, as many first team players are out with various injuries. Midfielder Fran Rico and winger Pedro Leon, are both out due to a knee injury and aren’t expected back until October. Keeper Rodriguez is also out with an ACL rupture until December. Strikers Sergi Enrich and Nano, along with left back David Juanca will miss the match in all probability as they are recovering from muscle injuries suffered in the preseason. Right back Arbilla will also be out of the squad as he hasn’t recovered from his Achilles Tendon problems.
ATHLETIC BILBAO
Bilbao finished last season’s La Liga campaign at the 7th position. Although it wouldn’t be considered a poor finish, the fans know that their beloved club has the potential and the players to do better. However, it is commendable nonetheless, as they have continued to successfully operate on their policy of prioritizing Academy players’ development. They managed to score a decent 53 goals in the La Liga while conceding 43. These are decent numbers for sure, but for a club of Bilbao’s abilities, they can surely be even better.
Looking at the clubs policy of avoiding Non-Basque players in the transfer window, it is only normal that they haven’t signed anyone new in the transfer window. Instead, the fans can look forward to some new youngsters coming into the squad like Gorka Santamaria and Ager Aketxe.
During the preseason preparations, the Basque club also had to play the Europa league qualifiers, which they duly cleared and will now be taking part in the group stage. In the third round of the qualifiers, they defeated Dinamo Bucuresti by 4-1 on aggregate, as they drew the first leg 1:1 away. In the play offs, they were up against Greek side Panathinaikos. The first leg was an exciting one, as the Spanish club defeated the hosts by 2:3. The home leg was also a close one, as Bilbao overcame the visitors 1:0.
New manager Cuco Ziganda will have to deal with three absentees for the match. Defensive midfielder Ander Itarraspe will probably be out with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the preseason. Along with him, Right back Oscar De Marcos will also be out with a sprained ankle that he got this week. Apart from these two, the only absentee will be talented Spaniard Yeray Alvarez, as they defender recovers from his terrific fight against Testicular cancer.
EIBAR vs. ATHLETIC BILBAO – Match Prediction
Eibar put in a good performance in the first match of the new La Liga season, as they won 1:0, whereas, Bilbao struggled to impose themselves against Getafe and hence ended up getting a scoreless draw. However, Eibar is currently missing a lot of their first team players, which will make it difficult for them to get a result against a talented Bilbao side. Therefore, I think that Bilbao will be able to shake off the disappointment against Granada and get a positive result here. A Safer bet is to go with both teams to score.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (+100)
ESPANYOL vs. LEGANES
Three-way: 1: Espanyol +110; X: +242 Draw; 2: Leganes +359
Spread -0.5: Espanyol +100; Leganes -104
Total +2: Over -116; Under +112
ESPANYOL
The Barcelona based club had an impressive season last year, as they finished 8th in the La Liga. Considering the players that are in the squad, and the cohesion between the squad, it wasn’t much of a surprise, even though there were moments which showed that Espanyol could improve on certain aspects, like the attack, as they managed to score just 49 goals last season. Their defense was also a bit weak, as they conceded 50 goals throughout the 38 matches in La Liga. However, the Catalan club still managed to edge through matches and grab points in the process.
The club has acted in the transfer window to fill in the gaps in the squad to maintain the quality of players in the squad. They have purchased defender Naldo from Krasnodar for 2.5 million while bringing in Pablo Piatti from league rivals Valencia for 1.3 million Euros. They have also added former Real Madrid keeper Diego Lopez in a deal worth 1 million from AC Milan. Espanyol has added Esteban Granero from Sociedad on a free transfer, as the fans hope he will continue to deliver his metronomic passing for the club.
Espanyol had a good preseason campaign as they clashed against some of Europe’s top teams and gained valuable experience. They took part in 6 friendly matches, out of which, 3 were wins, 2 were draws with the last one against Napoli ending in defeat. During this period, they scored an impressive 13 goals, while conceding just 3. These stats will give hope to the fans that their team might put in some good performances and finish in an even better position in La Liga.
The manager will have a tough job in team selection for this match as many players of his squad are out with injuries. Defender Oscar Duarte is out with an ACL injury and won’t be back until October, while forward Jaio Morillas is also out with an Achilles rupture. Midfielder Victor Sanchez is also out of the game due to a calf injury along with forward Alvaro Vazquez.
LEGANES
After getting promoted to the La Liga after the 15-16 season, Leganes almost got relegated again. They finished 17th in the league, just 4 points clear of relegation spots with 35 points. They managed to score just 36 goals, which translates to less than a goal per match, which resulted in them being unable to grab points in matches. Even their defense wasn’t good, as they conceded 55 goals throughout the league campaign. The fans will have their fingers crossed, as they pray for their club to improve the level of performances and stay in the La Liga for the next season too.
They have added a number of players to make sure they are not dragged into another relegation battle this year. They have signed Greek Centre back Dimitrios Siovas from Olympiacos for 3 million Euros while bringing in his potential partner Ezequiel Munoz from Genoa along with right back Tito from Granada for a combined 3 million. They have signed a number of free transfers; Gijon Keeper Ivan Cuellar and Alaves left back Raul Garcia, along with Barca B midfielder Gerard Gambau, have all joined on contract expiry.
Leganes had a positive preparation for the new season, as they played eight friendlies. Out of these eight matches, five were wins while the rest were defeats. They managed to score 8 goals in this duration while conceding 6. These numbers aren’t horrible, but they need to better if they want to stay in the La Liga for long.
The squad will be without two first team players, as keeper Jon Anders Serantes is out with an ACL tear, along with right Back Tito, who is out with Muscular Problems suffered about a week ago.
ESPANYOL vs. LEGANES – Match Prediction
Espanyol played out a gritty 1:1 draw with Sevilla in the first weekend of the league season, although they were guilty of missing a few chances. On the other hand, Leganes put in impressive performances against Alaves as they ran out 1:0 winners. This match promises to be a close contest, as both the teams fight it out for the three points. But considering the home factor, I believe that Espanyol will edge this through.
MY PICK: Espanyol to win (+110)
