🔊 How will Villarreal respond after their recent heavy defeat? Espanyol will host Villarreal at Cornellà -El Prat, where the home side’s strong form and advantage could pose a challenge for the visitors. Villarreal is favored to win, with odds of 2.2, while Espanyol’s win sits at 3.45. Check out our prediction to assist you with your betting decisions.
### Head-to-Head
In their 44 La Liga encounters, Espanyol has won 7 matches, while Villarreal has come out on top 17 times. Villarreal is currently unbeaten in their last four meetings with Espanyol, with the last defeat occurring in January 2020, when they lost 2-1.
### Espanyol
Espanyol had a challenging start to the season but has recently found their rhythm. After going three matches without scoring, they’ve netted five goals in their last three games. Even in their 1-4 loss to Real Madrid, they managed to score against one of the league’s top teams, although Madrid's quality ultimately prevailed.
At home, Espanyol has been strong, securing victories against Rayo Vallecano (2-1) and Alavés (3-2). Javier Puado, their leading scorer, contributed significantly with three goals in the win over Alavés. However, they may face some setbacks with defender Fernando Calero likely to miss the next match due to an ankle injury, along with long-term absentee Exposito.
### Villarreal
Villarreal is one of the most entertaining teams in La Liga, averaging around two goals scored per game. However, their defensive struggles have been a significant concern, as they concede an average of 2.17 goals per match, ranking among the worst in the league alongside Celta and Valladolid. Frequent injuries to their defenders have played a big role in this issue, with Juan Voigt and new signing Willy Kambwala sidelined since August, and Eric Bailly dealing with ongoing injury problems.
Interestingly, Villarreal has yet to concede a goal in their away matches this season. They've already secured wins against Sevilla (2-1) and Mallorca (2-1), along with a draw against Valencia (1-1).
### Goals Predictions
Espanyol and Villarreal typically don't engage in high-scoring affairs, particularly at Cornellà -El Prat. In their last three matches in Barcelona, no more than one goal has been scored in each game. On average, their encounters yield about 2.4 goals per match. Manolo Gonzalez is likely to exploit Villarreal's defensive vulnerabilities by employing a strategy centered around quick counter-attacks, which may slow the pace of the game. Given this approach, we don’t anticipate a fast-paced, high-scoring match and predict fewer than three total goals.
### Corners
Both Espanyol and Villarreal have struggled to earn corner kicks compared to their opponents. Espanyol averages 3.2 corners per game, while their rivals average 6.2. Villarreal performs slightly better with 4.5 corners but still falls short, as their opponents average 6.3 corners. Based on these trends, we expect a decent number of corners in the upcoming match. In fact, at least 11 corners have been recorded in four of the last five meetings between these teams. Therefore, we recommend considering a total of over 9.5 corners for this match.
### Scores24 Prediction for Espanyol vs. Villarreal
It’s uncertain how Villarreal's heavy 1-5 defeat to Barcelona will impact their players’ confidence. However, Espanyol has been strong at home and has good reason to be optimistic about earning points in this match. They also have fewer injury concerns compared to Villarreal. In their last nine home encounters against Villarreal, Espanyol has conceded only two goals in total. We believe that Manolo Gonzalez’s team can hold off Villarreal and avoid a loss, making a final score of 1-1 quite likely. Therefore, we suggest betting on Espanyol not to lose this match.
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