Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Spanish La Liga match.
Last season Real Valladolid and Espanyol were close in Segunda. However, Valladolid got automatically promoted to La Liga, while Espanyol became the best in the play-offs. The head-to-head meeting between these two newcomers will likely be without dangerous chances.
Real Valladolid
Valladolid won four out of five summer friendlies, where only the win against Tuluz last weekend stands out (2:0). In this match, the Spanish side won thanks to the late goals by Marcos Andre and Raul Moro, both appeared on a field just before scoring. The team played a 5-3-2 formation, which shows how they will play: a low block in defence and two strikers holding up the ball in attack.
Espanyol
Espanyol had a tense off-season, there are still rumours about ex-player Martin Brathwaite buying the club. The Danish player became the best striker in Segunda (22+2), but the Catalans didn’t want to extend his contract, which caused the player to react this way. It’s worth noting that in five friendlies the tem won only once and four games had total under 2,5. They also prefer defensive football.
Real Valladolid - Espanyol Prediction
The last game in May between Real Valladolid and Espanyol had no goals. Valladolid couldn’t score even after Nico Melamed was sent off (0:0). We bet on total under.
