Espanyol (home)
- Manolo Gonzalez has been at the Espanyol helm since March 2024 and has implemented a solid 4-2-3-1 system that allows his side to play structured and transition-based soccer.
- Espanyol are fifth in LaLiga on 34 points from 21 matches, while Alaves are 15th with 22 points from the same number of matches.
- Espanyol have lost both of their last two home matches.
Alaves (away)
- Deportivo Alaves under Eduardo Coudet, who took charge in December 2024, have been playing a fluid, high-energy system, either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, which involves pressing high and attacking quickly when the ball is won.
- Alaves have been much better in recent weeks, winning two of their last three games, a 2-1 home win over Real Betis in LaLiga and a 2-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey, but have struggled away, with just 1 win, 1 draw and 8 losses in 10 LaLiga away matches.
Head-to-Head
Espanyol have won two of the last three head-to-head meetings (W2, L1) and Alaves have yet to win away at Espanyol in recent encounters.
Key Players
- Pere Milla is Espanyol’s leading LaLiga goal-scorer this season with six in 19 appearances, but he is still not quite the number nine they need to spearhead this 4-2-3-1.
- Antonio Martinez has emerged as Alaves’s main forward lately, scoring three of their six goals in the last five matches, while Carlos Vicente, who has five in 21 appearances, is their most prolific player in the league.
- Carlos Romero has been Espanyol’s primary attacking spark lately, scoring two of their four goals in the last five, so the visitors will look to keep him quiet and hope they can nick the game with a goal from one of their in-form forwards.
Betting Insights
- A low-scoring game is expected with Under 2.5 goals at 1.5 and both teams to score at 1.65 the recommended wagers.
- The odds for an Espanyol win here look too short at 1.96, although Alaves are overpriced at 4.2.
Prediction
A draw would probably be a fair result, but Espanyol have a slight edge in this game because of their home advantage and Alaves’s poor away record.
