This Sunday, Espanyol will be playing host to Deportivo La Coruna, while Villareal will be visiting Getafe in search of three points, in two La Liga matches that have a lot of promise to be really exciting clashes.
ESPANYOL vs. DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Three-way: 1: Espanyol +104; X: +265 Draw; 2: Deportivo La Coruna +325
Spread -0.5: Espanyol +100; Deportivo La Coruna -103
Total +2.5: Over +104; Under -111
ESPANYOL
If one talks about football and Barcelona right now, the first thoughts that come to our mind would be of FC Barcelona and their terrific form. Therefore, one can be excused for forgetting about the La Liga leader’s less glorious local rivals Espanyol, who hasn’t made the best of start in the La Liga so far, although they haven’t done very bad either. With just two defeats, albeit one a very embarrassing thrashing at Camp Nou against rivals Barcelona, the fans should be at ease seeing the fact that their team looks well set to have at least a decent mid-table finish come to the end of the La Liga season.
Since the start of the league, they have played with a composed set of players in most matches, which has seen them grab impressive results. Over the past five La Liga matches, their record has been 1-2-2, which is definitely very satisfactory, considering the quality of the players in the squad. During this period, they have scored just three goals, which is clear indication of the fact that the Catalan club can very well improve on their finishing. On the other hand, they have conceded 8 goals, five of which were against local rivals Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Their last fixture was against Villareal, as numerous chances were wasted by both the teams as the match ended in a goalless draw. Before this visit to Villareal, they welcomed Celta Vigo to Barcelona. This match gave Espanyol their first win of the season, as they finished the match as 2:1 victors. Manager Quique Sanches Flores will be aware of the fact that he still needs to bring in a consistent run of results to have a positive season.
Striker Leo Baptistao has been doing his bit in the attacking department, as his smart movement has been the focal point for the playmakers in the squad to thread the ball in. He has already scored a goal and provided an assist in his five appearances so far. New signing Pablo Piatti, along with forward Gerard Moreno, has also chipped in with a goal each.
There will be a couple of absentees in defense, as centre-back Oscar Duarte is still not ready for game time as he finishes his recovery from an ACL tear 6 months ago, along with Javi Lopez, who is expected to miss this match due to the Muscular injury he suffered in training last month. Alvaro Vazquez will also miss the match as the striker sits out the match due to a Shoulder injury.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
After struggling in attack and defense last season, Deportivo has done well to improve their attack, as they have shown that they can find the net regularly. However, it seems that their defensive woes have not improved, as they failed to keep a clean sheet in their first four La Liga matches this season. Languishing in the seventh position in the league table, the players would be wary of the fact that they need to get some good results to calm down the fans’ nerves.
They had made a poor start to the new La Liga season, as they failed to win any of their first four league games. Their record over the first five league games has been 1-1-3, which shows how much they have struggled to win points. However, their attack has made a decent start to the season. They have scored a total of 6 goals in these games. But it is the defense that has actually disappointed, as the Deportivo goal was breached a total of 11 times in these matches, which clearly indicates that they need to tighten things up at the back.
Their last match was a gritty performance against Alaves, as they won 1:0 at home. Still, the manager will probably be irked by the fact that the visitors were also provided with some clear chances, although they weren’t converted, just like Deportivo missed theirs. Before this match, they visited Real Betis, where they fell to a 2:1 defeat, as they failed to defend to prevent two simple goals.
Winger Cartabia has returned from his loan spell at Braga and has already shown the fans that he can be a useful asset. The Argentine youngster has two goals in his four matches. Forward Florin Andone has also scored a goal, while also showing his eye for a pass with two assists for his teammates.
Manager Pepe Mel would be concerned with the number of first team players out with injuries. Wingers Carles Gil and Zakaria Bakkali are both expected to be out of this match due to groin and Ankle injuries, while keeper Ruben Martinez broke his finger ten days ago, which will keep him out of the fixture. Imposing centre-back Sidnei will also miss this match with a knee injury suffered two weeks ago, while midfielder Mosquera and forward Lopez are both major doubts as they try to overcome muscular injuries.
ESPANYOL vs. DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA- Match Prediction:
This match will be vital for both the teams, as they are in dire search of a win to get their season going after some disappointing performances in the first few matches. Espanyol will be having the home advantage, but Deportivo is more than capable to overcome a week home defense. So, looking at the players form in both the teams, I think that this will be a close match, which is why I will go with the under in this one.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 goals (-111)
GETAFE vs. VILLAREAL
Three-way: 1: Getafe +195; X: +229 Draw; 2: Villareal +183
Spread 0: Getafe +104; Villareal -108
Total +2: Over -135; Under +129
GETAFE
Getafe made a very topsy-turvy start to the season, as they haven’t had the same kind of result twice in two matches. They have certainly shown improvement, most notably in their playing style and work rate of the players, but are still a bit away from the best possible level. Having already played three of the La Liga best teams, Getafe will be hoping that they are able to take as many points as possible from the remaining opponents, which would help them in avoiding an immediate return to the second division.
They started their season with a sturdy showing against Atheltic Bilbao away, where they frustrated their more illustrious opponents and managed to keep a clean sheet and a draw. But not all of the following results were same, as their record over the last five league games ( 1-2-2) shows. Since the start of the season, they have scored only 4 goals in five matches, which will disappoint the supporters a bit. However, their defense isn’t as weak as people predicted, as they have conceded just five goals, which is not bad considering the fact that they have played against Bilbao, Sevilla, and Barca already.
Their last match was at Celta Vigo, where they managed to get a point after drawing the game 1:1, thanks to a late goal by Angel Rodriguez. This was a good decent result considering the fact that their efforts against league leaders Barcelona went unrewarded after a 1:2 loss at home, where the Catalans had to work very hard for the win.
Apart from Rodriguez, Alvaro Jimenez, midfielder Shibasaki, and Arambarri, have all contributed to a solitary goal each, while playmaker Faycal Fajr has created a goal for his teammates.
They will be missing the pace and trickery of wingers Dani Pacheco and Karim Yoda, who will be out for this match due to a Shoulder and a ruptured ACL respectively. They will also be missing the services of midfielder Shibasaki, who will be out until November with a foot injury sustained in August.
VILLAREAL
After a poor outing in the first match of the new La Liga season against Levante and then against Sociedad away, Villareal looks like a transformed team. They no longer look like the side that was hapless when they were smacked 3: 0 at Real Sociedad in just the second match of the season. They have managed to grab three consecutive wins after that result, including one in the Europa league. The fans will be hoping that the Yellow Submarines are able to keep up their performances and try and aim for a top-four finish this season.
The start of the La Liga season was a rocky one for Villareal, as they succumbed to defeats in two consecutive league matches when they were expected to win both. However, they have recovered well, and are now playing some really good football. Their record over the last six games in all competitions is 3-1-2, with both the defeats coming early. During this period, they have scored an impressive 9 goals, with three each in the wins they got. At the same time, they conceded 6 goals, while keeping two clean sheets, which shows that they are surely on the upward trajectory.
Their last La Liga win was against Alaves away last weekend, as they thrashed the home side by 3:0. This was their third win in a row where they had scored three goals, perfectly showcasing how lethal they can be if teams aren’t focused while defending against Villareal. However, they struggled a bit against Espanyol in the next match, as they fell to a scoreless draw in the midweek game against the Catalan side.
Carlos Bacca has proved to be a smart addition to the squad for this season, as he has already scored two goals in the five appearances he has made so far. Striker Cedric Bukambu has also chipped in with a couple of strikes to his name. Winger Castillejo is also doing his bit with one strike and one assist for Villareal in four appearances this season.
Both the goalkeepers Andres Fernandez and Sergio Asenjo are out with ACL Ruptures, while Bruno Soriano and Adrian Marin will remain on the sidelines with leg injuries and won return until next month.
GETAFE vs. VILLAREAL – Match Prediction
Getafe is always a tricky opponent, no doubt, and with the home crowd behind them, they will surely be looking to put in a good performance. However, Villareal has been very solid in recent weeks, and their attacking might is there for everyone to see. Therefore, I don’t see this match going any other way than a Villareal win, as the visitors will be eager for a win after a scoreless draw against Espanyol in their last match.
MY PICK: Villareal to win (+183)
