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La Liga action resumes after the international break with a clash between Malaga and Espanyol at La Rosaleda on Friday.
The hosts find themselves at the bottom of the league table and are still in the hunt for their first win.
Espanyol, meanwhile, will look to extend their unbeaten run against Malaga to 16 games.
Read our Malaga vs Espanyol prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Malaga vs Espanyol key stats
- Five of Espanyol's last six matches have featured goals at both ends.
- The last four H2Hs have all gone above the 2.5-goal line.
- At least five cards were awarded in five of Malaga's last games and in each of Espanyol's last six outings.
Malaga vs Espanyol preview: Espanyol's dominance to continue?
Malaga vs Espanyol — Tale of the Tape
| Malaga | vs | Espanyol |
|---|---|---|
| 20th | Position | 15th |
| 3 | Points | 7 |
| 3 | Goals For | 10 |
| 12 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 18th | Home / Away Rank | 10th |
Malaga suffered a 1-0 defeat against Getafe in their last La Liga outing. The hosts are now on a nine-match winless streak across all competitions and have not won a top-flight game since April 2018.
Having earned only three points from their first seven games of the season, it is unsurprising that Juan Funes' troops are at the bottom of the league table, as they are the only winless team in the Spanish top flight.
Malaga have scored fewer goals than any other team in La Liga this season.
Julen Lobete (ligament), Aaron Ochoa (meniscus), Jens-Lys Cajuste (muscle), and Diego Murillo (ligament) are all sidelined for the Andalusian outfit, while Jose Salas will serve a club-imposed one-match ban.
Like their hosts, Espanyol are coming off back-to-back defeats, their most recent being a disappointing 3-1 home defeat against Elche.
Having a one-man advantage from the sixth minute should have locked up a win for the pregame favourites, but they still managed to crumble at home.
As things stand, the Catalan side are 15th in La Liga with a 2-1-4 win-draw-loss record. On a positive note, they have had an excellent track record against Malaga in recent years, having won the last six clashes between these outfits, with no defeats in the last 15 H2Hs.
Only one team has been booked more times than Espanyol in the Spanish top flight this term.
Head coach Manolo Gonzalez has most of his squad available for the trip to La Rosaleda, with the exception of Javier Hernandez, who picked up a minor leg injury while on duty with Spain's U21 side late last month.
Top scorer Roberto Fernandez is expected to lead the line for the visitors once again. The 24-year-old, who earned his first cap for the Spanish national team last weekend, has six goals in seven La Liga outings this term.
Malaga vs Espanyol form guide & betting tips
| Malaga | vs | Espanyol |
|---|---|---|
L
D
D
L
L
|
La Liga Form |
L
D
W
L
L
|
| 2 | Points | 4 |
| 20th | Form Table | 17th |
| 2 | Goals For | 6 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 8 |
L
D
D
L
L
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
D
W
L
L
|
Whispers Predicts: Malaga 1-2 Espanyol
Priced at 7/4 (2.75), Espanyol are considered favourites by the bookmakers ahead of this clash.
Malaga have been the worst team in La Liga so far this season, and considering their losing streak against Espanyol, we are confident that the visitors will return to winning ways on Friday night.
Not only have Espanyol won six consecutive skirmishes between these sides, but they also scored at least three goals in each of the last four H2Hs. On that note, we fancy over 1.5 Espanyol goals at 8/5 (2.60).
Moreover, both teams were on the scoresheet in five of Espanyol's last six fixtures, and this can be backed at 5/6 (1.83).
> Over 2.5 total goals at 21/20 (2.05) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 5/6 (1.83) | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result: Espanyol at 7/4 (2.75) | Likelihood: Possible
> Espanyol & BTTS – Yes at 9/2 (5.50) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 1-2 at 10/1 (11.00) | Likelihood: Outsider