Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
In January, Sevilla managed to pull away from the relegation battle, but Espanyol have also shown resilience — we're set for a clash between two determined and spirited sides. Both teams have struggled to develop their attacking units, meaning the fate of the three points will likely be decided by a limited number of chances.
Sevilla
In their matches against Valencia (1:1) and Girona (2:1), Sevilla recorded 3.06 xG from open play — a respectable figure, but reaching that mark will be challenging without the suspended Adrià Pedrosa and Isaac Romero due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Since early September, over 2.5 total has been achieved in only one of Sevilla's nine home fixtures. On their own ground, they have scored nine goals — only Real Valladolid have a weaker attack in La Liga (7).
Espanyol
Conversely, Espanyol's creative issues are found in away games — they have netted just four goals in nine outings (the lowest in the league). Since their return to the top division, the Catalan side have struggled to escape the relegation zone. Even after a victory over Real Valladolid (2:1), they trail Alavés in 17th place by a single point. The visit to a mid-table side will be another test for the underdog.
Sevilla vs Espanyol Prediction
In the first leg of the season, Sevilla defeated Espanyol away, courtesy of a brace from Dodi Lukébakio (2:0). It is likely that the upcoming encounter between the sides will once again lack a plethora of dangerous moments — neither team is looking to take risks.
