Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Spanish La Liga match.
The challenging segment of the season has left Espanyol in the relegation zone of La Liga. Leganés is three points ahead of their closest rival, although the other newcomer to the top Spanish division is also struggling offensively — both teams will likely create minimal scoring opportunities on Saturday.
Espanyol
Following their defeat to Las Palmas (0:1), Espanyol remained in 18th place in the league, having suffered three losses and two draws in December. Since their exit from the Copa del Rey against Barbastro (0:2), the Catalans have managed only one shot on target in five matches. With an xG of 17.69, they are within the bottom four for expected goals, and without the injured Gragera, Coach González has a limited selection in midfield.
Leganés
Leganés is faring slightly better this campaign. In the last month, the La Liga newcomer managed to secure a victory away at Barcelona (1:0) and advanced in the cup by defeating Cartagena (2:1). However, Jiménez's team has the lowest expected goals in La Liga (14.38), and the disappointing loan of forward Allé (who hasn’t scored a single goal in all tournaments) was terminated prematurely.
Espanyol vs Leganés Prediction
Espanyol is on a streak of four matches with under 2.5 total goals, while Leganés has accumulated only seven matches with at least three goals in the 18 rounds played. In their direct encounter, both underperforming teams will definitely impose a struggle on each other, focusing on defense.
