Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Villarreal started the season brightly but suffered a heavy home defeat to FC Barcelona in the last round (1:5). Espanyol, in turn, lost significantly to Real Madrid (1:4). Which of the teams will manage to bounce back and please their fans?
Espanyol
Starting with the hosts, Espanyol had an unsuccessful start to the season, but after two defeats, the team drew and won two matches. Of course, the opponents were not the toughest, but they then faced Real Madrid, where the Catalonian side suffered fully deservedly (1:4). This score was well-justified, as Real Madrid created 5.47 xG and took 31 shots. Generally, Espanyol's defence has been weak, conceding seven goals in the last three matches. Even mid-table Deportivo Alavés managed to score twice against them, taking as many as 19 shots. However, their attacking performance looks better, with six goals scored in La Liga from an xG of 6.5. This indicates that Espanyol are efficient at converting the opportunities they manage to create.
Villarreal
On the other hand, Villarreal play very brightly, with bets on the total over 2.5 coming through in five of their six matches this season. Villarreal have managed an impressive xG of 10.5, yet have scored even more (12 goals). Of course, they concede a lot (13 goals with 10.9 xGA), but that's unsurprising considering their attacking inclination. On average, the team scores two goals per match and concedes roughly the same. The last match against FC Barcelona (1:5) was telling, where they themselves attacked well (13 shots and 2.49 xG) but allowed the opposition too much (17 shots and 3.63 xG). Notably, their top scorer is Ayoze Pérez, who is fourth in the top scorers' list with four goals. He is currently fit and ready to play.
Espanyol vs Villarreal Prediction
In the last three matches between these teams, Villarreal have been stronger, with the teams scoring six goals in two of those encounters. We are sure that in this match, Espanyol’s defensive problems will again come to the forefront, so expect plenty of goals.
