Soccer Spain LaLiga Prediction

Espanyol vs Almeria - Match Preview

⚽ 4 June 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

The final day of this La Liga (LL) season will be of no tangible consequence to already-relegated Espanyol, who had their demotion to the second tier confirmed thanks to a heartbreaking 93rd-minute equaliser for Valencia in a 2-2 draw last week. Manager Luis García’s earlier assertions that his side would avoid the drop came back to haunt him, but that hasn’t changed his attitude, insisting the Parakeets “will be back” in the top flight.

Having the joint-worst defensive record in the division (66 goals conceded) is perhaps a leading cause in Espanyol’s relegation, as their attacking return of 49 scored was better than any other side in the bottom half. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that matches involving the Parakeets average more goals than those of any other side (3.11), but the entertainment hasn’t prompted desired results at the RCDE Stadium, with only rock-bottom Elche earning fewer home points than Espanyol’s 18.

The equation is simple for Almería, who can secure their top-flight survival by simply avoiding defeat. They squandered a huge chance to reduce the tension they'd face on the final day last time out when they were held to a 0-0 draw with Valladolid, despite firing in 23 shots! That left their boss Rubi understandably frustrated, but he’s confident his side has what it takes as there are “several scenarios” that guarantee their safety, largely due to possessing a positive H2H record over almost all of their main rivals.

Victory will clearly be their easiest way out of trouble, but Almería has been notoriously poor on their travels, winning just one of their last 25 LL away matches (D4, L20). Only Anger has collected fewer than their seven points in away matches across Europe’s top-five leagues this term, so Almería will certainly need to upset the form book if they’re to secure just their second-ever winning league double over Espanyol.

📋 Key battle: Whilst Espanyol defender César Montes has scored in back-to-back games, he has never managed to find the net in three successive matches. In-form Almeria forward Lázaro has scored each of his side’s last four goals and all but one of his career goalscoring appearances have seen more than 2.5 total goals scored overall.

⚡ Hot streak: Espanyol have failed to score in each of their last three final round league matches (D2, L1).