The clash at Mestalla kicks off an exciting midweek round of fixtures, ahead of the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona scheduled for next weekend. Both Valencia and Espanyol are almost safe: both have struggled during the season, but their acceleration in recent months has allowed them to keep their distance from the third-last place. The Bats are seven points ahead of Alavés, as are the Catalans—both on 38 points—but the latter still have a game in hand.
Valencia turned a corner when they changed coach: with Carlos Corberan at the helm, they have improved game after game, as evidenced by the fact that they have only lost one league game since February. They have been unbeaten for two months: last Saturday, Gayà and his teammates achieved another positive result – their seventh in a row – drawing 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano in an away game that held many pitfalls. The progress made is particularly evident in defense: since the 3-3 draw with Osasuna in early March, Valencia have not conceded more than one goal per game and have kept two clean sheets, both at home. The match against Espanyol, another team in great form, will be a good test. The Barcelona club is coming off three consecutive wins, three matches in which it has kept a clean sheet and scored a total of seven goals. Last Friday, even the tough Getafe had to surrender to Manolo Gonzalez’s men (1-0), with a decisive goal from former Roma player Kumbulla.
Odds comparison
The “Under 2.5” bet is priced at 1.68 on Goldbet and Lottomatica and 1.73 on Snai. A draw is priced at 3.60 on Goldbet and Lottomatica and 3.55 on Snai.
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Prediction
Two teams in great form are facing each other, one step away from safety and having found some solidity. We therefore imagine a very competitive match, in which the total number of goals could be less than three. A draw cannot be ruled out.
Probable line-ups for Valencia-Espanyol
VALENCIA (4-4-2): Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gayà; Pepelu, Guerra, Rioja, Almeida; Diego Lopez, Hugo Duro.
ESPANYOL (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Urko Gonzalez, Lozano; Carreras, Exposito, Javi Puado; Roberto Fernandez.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1