Two teams struggling towards the bottom of the La Liga table will lock horns on Saturday evening, with Espanyol welcoming Leganes to Stage Front Stadium.
Espanyol have picked up just 15 points from their 18 league matches this season, which has left them down in 18th position, while Leganes are on 18 points from 18 games, which is only enough for 15th spot.
Match preview
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Espanyol secured a return to La Liga through last season's Segunda Division playoffs, but they are involved in another relegation battle at this stage of the campaign, having only picked up 15 points from their 18 top-flight matches this term.
The Catalan outfit have a record of four wins, three draws and 11 defeats in La Liga this season, while they have struggled defensively, conceding 30, which is the joint-second worst record in the division.
The White and Blues are only one point behind 17th-placed Getafe, meanwhile, so it is not time to hit the panic button, and head coach Manolo Gonzalez has kept his job at the helm despite the team's struggles this term.
Espanyol are without a victory in La Liga since the end of November, picking up only two points from their last four matches, and they entered the winter break in Spain off the back of a 1-0 defeat at Las Palmas.
The Catalan team locked horns with Leganes on two occasions in the Segunda Division last season and only managed to pick up a point, while Leganes have also won the last two La Liga meetings between the two sides.
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Saturday's contest will be the first time that these two teams have met in La Liga since the 2019-20 campaign, with Leganes winning 2-0 at home and 1-0 away during that particular season.
Leganes, who are the reigning Segunda Division champions, have already played in 2025, beating FC Cartagena 2-1 in the last-32 stage of the Copa del Rey, and their reward for that success is a clash with Almeria in the last-16 stage of the competition on January 15.
Borja Jimenez's side incredibly beat Barcelona 1-0 in their last away match in Spain's top flight, but they entered the winter break in Spain off the back of a 5-2 home defeat to Villarreal.
A record of four wins, six draws and eight defeats from 18 league matches this season has seen El Lega collect 18 points, which has left them in 15th spot in the table, three points above their opponents this weekend.
Leganes have only picked up one victory on their travels this season, but they have lost just three times, with five of their nine away La Liga games during the 2024-25 campaign finishing with the points being shared.
Team News
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Espanyol will again be without the services of Jose Gragera due to a thigh problem, while Salvi Sanchez is unavailable for selection due to a fitness issue, but the home side are otherwise in strong shape for this match.
There are not expected to be any surprises in the home side's XI this weekend, with a 4-5-1 formation likely to again include Antoniu Roca and Javi Puado in the wide positions.
Puado has scored six times in La Liga during the 2024-25 campaign, and the struggling hosts will once again be looking to the Spaniard for inspiration in Saturday's contest.
As for Leganes, Oscar Rodriguez and Jorge Saenz are out of the match through suspension, while Enric Franquesa and Renato Tapia will be unavailable for selection this weekend.
Head coach Jimenez will have to make two changes to his last league XI due to the suspensions of Saenz and Rodriguez, with Juan Cruz and Munir El Haddadi expected to be the players to benefit.
El Haddadi and Dani Raba scored the goals against Cartagena in the Copa del Rey, and the pair should keep their spots, but there is likely to be a change in the final third, with Miguel de la Fuente set to return to the starting side.
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Olivan; Roca, Tejero, Lozano, Kral, Puado; Cheddira
Leganes possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Alti, Gonzalez, Nastasic, J Hernandez; Raba, Neyou, Cisse, Cruz; El Haddadi; De la Fuente
We say: Espanyol 1-1 Leganes
It is difficult to back either side with any real confidence on Saturday, and we have therefore had to settle on a draw; Leganes have shared the points in five of their nine away league games this term, and we are expecting them to be good enough to claim a point against Espanyol at Stage Front Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
