Sevilla will be bidding to bounce back from a heavy defeat to Barcelona when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium on Friday night.
The visitors are currently 13th in the La Liga table, boasting 12 points from their opening 10 matches of the season, while Espanyol occupy 15th, boasting 10 points from their first 10 games of the campaign.
Match preview
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Espanyol have won three, drawn one and lost six of their 10 league matches this season to collect 10 points, which has left them in 15th spot in the table, two points ahead of the relegation zone.
The Catalan outfit secured a return to La Liga for the 2024-25 campaign courtesy of their success in last season's Segunda Division playoffs, and they will now be looking to consolidate back at this level of football.
Manolo Gonzalez's side enjoyed their best run of form this season between the end of August and middle of September, picking up seven points from three matches, but they have been beaten in four of their last five in Spain's top flight.
Espanyol will enter this contest off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, and their defensive record this season is slightly concerning, having already conceded 17 times, which is one of the poorer records in the division.
The White and Blues lost both league games against Sevilla during the 2022-23 campaign, while they have not managed to overcome Friday's opponents in Spain's top flight since January 2017.
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Sevilla, as mentioned, will enter this match off the back of a disappointing result against Barcelona, losing 5-1 to the Catalan giants, with that defeat ending a positive run of form for Garcia Pimienta's side.
Indeed, Los Nervionenses had picked up seven points from their three games against Real Valladolid, Athletic and Real Betis before the heavy defeat to the division leaders, but they will be looking to bounce back quickly here.
Sevilla have a record of three wins, three draws and four defeats from their 10 league matches this season to collect 12 points, which has left them in 13th spot in the table, only three points behind seventh-placed Real Betis.
The Seville outfit finished 14th in La Liga last season, which proved to be their worst campaign since being relegated in 1999-2000, so there is plenty of room for improvement during the current season.
Sevilla are unbeaten in their last 10 top-flight matches against Espanyol, recording seven wins in the process, while they have only lost twice to the Catalan outfit in La Liga since January 2011.
Team News
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Espanyol will again be without the services of Fernando Calero due to a muscular problem, while Javi Puado and Edu Exposito remain doubts for the Catalan side ahead of the clash with Sevilla.
Puado has scored three times for Espanyol in La Liga this season, but he has missed his side's last two matches with a knee problem, and it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will be back on Friday night.
Head coach Gonzalez will make changes to the side that started the heavy defeat to Athletic, with Pere Milla and Alvaro Tejero expected to be introduced into the XI, while there could also be a start for Walid Cheddira.
As for Sevilla, Saul Niguez remains on the sidelines with a thigh problem, but Tanguy Nianzou will be back in the squad after missing out against Barcelona through suspension.
Head coach Pimienta will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes to his side, but Albert Sambi Lokonga is likely to be introduced, while there could also be a spot in the team for fit-again Djibril Sow.
Isaac Romero is again set to lead the line for Sevilla, while Chidera Ejuke and Dodi Lukebakio are expected to continue in the wide positions for the visitors on Friday night.
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Garcia; El Hilali, Gomez, Kumbulla, Olivan; Gragera, Lozano, Milla; Tejero, Cheddira, Romero
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Nianzou, Pedrosa; Agoume, Lokonga, Sow; Ejuke, Romero, Lukebakio
We say: Espanyol 1-1 Sevilla
Sevilla have enjoyed their recent meetings with Espanyol, but the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in this fixture in February 2022, and we can see the same scoreline here. The visitors are yet to triumph on their travels this term, so we are finding it difficult to back them against an Espanyol side that have managed three wins from their last four home fixtures.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
