Espanyol vs Cadiz preview
Watch Espanyol vs Cadiz Preview, as both clubs meet on the La Liga meeting with Espanyol hosting Cadiz at RCDE stadium.
Espanyol are currently 19th in the division, boasting just 27 points from their opening 29 matches, while Cadiz sit 16th, four points above their opponents ahead of the huge fixture in Spain’s top flight.
Espanyol finished 14th in La Liga last season on their return to the top flight, but they are facing the possibility of dropping back down to the Segunda Division for the 2023-24 campaign.
Indeed, a disappointing season has seen the White and Blues pick up just 27 points courtesy of a record of six wins, nine draws and 14 defeats from 29 matches, which has left them in 19th position in the table.
It is not quite time for the Catalan outfit to hit the panic button, as they are only three points behind 17th-placed Almeria, but there is no question that the team’s recent form is a huge concern.
Luis Garcia‘s side have lost each of their last six league matches, including a 3-1 defeat at Real Betis last time out, with their last win in Spain’s top flight coming at home to Mallorca at the end of February.
Espanyol have the second-worst home record in La Liga this season, only picking up 13 points from 14 matches, which is the same number of points that Cadiz have claimed on their travels this term.
Cadiz are in their third straight season at this level of football, which represents their best run since the early 1990s, and they are outside of the relegation zone heading into the next set of fixtures.
A total of 31 points from 29 matches has left the Yellow Submarine in 16th position in the table, four points ahead of 18th-placed Valencia, so a victory on Friday night would open up some serious ground on the bottom three at a vital stage of the campaign.
Cadiz are only one point behind 14th-placed Real Valladolid, and a positive result in this match would lead them nicely into back-to-back home fixtures against Osasuna and Valencia.
Team news and Injury
Espanyol will again be without the services of Brian Olivan due to a muscular problem, but the home side will be boosted by the return of three players from suspensions.
Indeed, Aleix Vidal, Fernando Calero and Oscar Gil all served bans against Real Betis last time out, and the trio are expected to come back into the starting side for this contest.
Despite their struggles this season, Espanyol have two players who have contributed goals on a regular basis this term, with Joselu netting 12 in Spain’s top flight, while Martin Braithwaite has nine, and the pair will again feature in the final third of the field in this match.
As for Cadiz, Gonzalo Escalante, Brian Ocampo, Juan Cala, Jon Ander Garrido and Joseba Zaldua will miss the contest due to injury problems.
However, Jeremias Ledesma is available after a four-game suspension, and the goalkeeper is set to return alongside defender Iza Carcelen, who is also available after a ban.
Head coach Sergio will have taken positives from the defeat to Real Madrid last time out, so the bulk of the side should again start, with Chris Ramos likely to feature alongside Sergi Guardiola in the final third.
Espanyol vs Cadiz head-to-head stats
Espanyol have a slight edge in recent games against Cadiz and have won five out of the last 11 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Cadiz’s four victories.
Espanyol are unbeaten in their last three games against Cadiz in La Liga but have played out draws by a 2-2 scoreline in each of their last two such games.
After a run of only one victory in nine games away from home against Espanyol in La Liga Cadiz have won two of their last three such matches in the competition.
After a run of only one defeat in 16 home games played on a Friday in La Liga, Espanyol have lost their last two such matches in the competition.
Espanyol have lost their last six La Liga matches while scoring in each of these games – the longest such run in the history of the competition.
Espanyol vs Cadiz prediction
Cadiz have shown flashes of their potential in recent weeks but are in desperate need of a consistent run of results. The away side were outclassed by a superior Real Madrid squad last week and will need to step up to the plate in this fixture.
Espanyol face a daunting relegation battle this season and cannot afford another debacle this week. Both teams have issues to address at the moment and will likely play out a draw on Friday.
