Matchday 19 in La Liga sees Espanyol take on Leganes on January 11 at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. Espanyol vs. Leganes: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Espanyol vs. Leganes
Espanyol (4-4-2): Joan Garcia – Omar El Hilali, Leandro Cabrera, Brian Olivan, Marash Kumbulla – Antonio Roca, Alex Kral, Pol Lozano, Alvaro Tejero – Javi Puado, Walid Cheddira.
Leganes (5-4-1): Marko Dmitrovic – Adria Altimira, Sergio Gonzalez, Javi Hernandez Carrera, Matija Nastasic, Jorge Saenz – Ivan Neyou, Seydouba Cisse, Oscar Rodriguez, Dani Raba – Miguel de la Fuente.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
Espanyol
Last month, the Catalans played four matches without securing a single victory. At home, the club drew against Osasuna (0-0) and Valencia (1-1), while losing 0-1 away to Getafe and Las Palmas. Manolo Gonzalez's side is among the bottom three and is one point away from the safe 17th place. Notably, the club has conceded 30 goals, with only Valladolid having a worse defense in the league (37).
- The club has failed to win in 8 of their last 9 La Liga games (2 draws and 6 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final score in 6 of Espanyol's last 7 matches in La Liga.
- In 8 of the last 10 matches involving the Catalans in the league, one team won the first half with a clean sheet.
Leganes
Before the winter break, the team suffered a 2-5 defeat at home to Villarreal. This was their third consecutive heavy defeat in the current championship, occurring in the last five matches (also one win and one draw). It's worth noting that all these heavy losses happened at home. Borja Jimenez's squad is in 15th place, just 3 points ahead of the nearest relegation zone rival.
Defender Jorge Saenz and midfielder Oscar Rodriguez will miss the match due to suspensions.
- At least two goals have been scored in 7 of the club's last 9 La Liga matches.
- Leganes has not lost the first half in 11 of their last 12 away league games (3 wins and 8 draws).
- At least two goals have been scored in the second half in 7 of Leganes' last 9 away matches in La Liga.
Espanyol vs. Leganes: Match Prediction
Leganes' last away game ended with a sensational result – the club managed to defeat Barcelona 1-0. Although the team rarely wins on the road, beating them is not easy. In their last 12 away matches, the club from the Madrid suburb lost only three times, secured three wins, and drew six times. They lost to worthy and stronger opponents – Atletico, Girona, and Betis.
Espanyol is a distinctly home-oriented team. However, in their last 12 home matches in La Liga, the club has only achieved 4 wins (4 draws and 4 losses). Moreover, the Catalans consistently concede at home, doing so in 11 of their last 12 La Liga matches. It's likely that Leganes will find the net against the hosts, especially since they have scored in six consecutive away league matches. I predict that Borja Jimenez's side will score at least as many as they concede, as they have not allowed more than one goal in 9 of their last 12 away La Liga matches.
My prediction – Leganes to win or draw
