Preview - Espanyol vs Rayo Vallecano 10 February 19

[Harry85]

Match Day 23
Espanyol vs. Rayo Vallecano
Sunday, February 10th 2019
01:30am (GMT+8 Timing)
Stadium: RCDE Stadium

Espanyol: 
Last five matches form: W L L L D
Average goals per match: 1.14
Average goals against per match: 1.64
Top Scorer: Borja Iglesias (9)

Rayo Vallecano:
Last five matches form: W W D W L
Average goals per match: 1.18
Average goals against per match: 1.73
Top Scorer: Raúl de Tomás (9)


There's plenty riding on this week's game at the RCDE Stadium in La Liga as 15th placed Espanyol play host to third bottom Rayo Vallecano. With only two points between the sides at present, a win for Vallecano here will pull Espanyol even further into the relegation quagmire. Espanyol meanwhile will create a slightly more comfortable cushion between themselves and the bottom three should they come out on top.


The sides couldn't be separated in the game in Vallecano earlier in the season which ended in a 2-2 draw. The last meeting between the sides here at the RCDE came back in 2016, with the home side running out 2-1 winners on the day.


The injured Naldo and suspended Mario Hermoso are out for the home side. Gorka Elustondo and Óscar Trejo are the men missing for Vallecano.



Espanyol are on a desperate run of form at presents, with nine defeats in their last eleven, taking only four points from the 33 available. They did at least stop the rot to a degree with a 2-2 draw at Villarreal last time out though. Their overall record at home is solid enough with six wins in ten. They have however now lost four of their last five, conceding three or more goals in all four of those losses.



Vallecano started the season in shocking style but are playing much, much better now, picking up four wins and a draw, with just the one defeat in their past six games. They have won just three of ten away from home, but two of those wins have come in their two most recent away games,

Rayo Vallecano have scored either zero or one goal in nine of their ten away games to date. They are playing the better football of the two at present, but that stat suggests they may well have to settle for a draw in this one.


Prediction: Espanyol 1 - 1 Rayo Vallecano

[Harry85]

Half time:  0 - 1
Full time: 2 - 1
Shots:  16 - 9
Shots on target: 5 - 3
Corner Kicks: 6 - 2
Possession: 61% - 39%

Two bookings in this one, both for the away side, with referee Eduardo Prieto Iglesias taking the names of Emiliano Velazquez and Jordi Amat.

They had to do it the hard way, and only finally stole the points in the dying embers of the game, but this was a deserved win for the home side having bossed possession and finished ahead on the shot count.

Vallecano did have the ball in the net early in almost comical circumstances, a shot from 18 yards ricocheting off the post, the standing keepers legs and into the path of Adri Embarba who backheeled in from almost on the line. The flag went up for offside though.

The visitors then took the lead for real in the 33rd minute. Embarba's cross from the right being met by Abdoulaye Ba just outside the right corner of the six-yard box. Ba planting his header into the bottom left. 0-1 at the break.

It was all Espanyol in the second half as the home team racked up chance after chance- the equaliser arriving via a VAR penalty kick in the 72nd minute. Borja Iglesias making no mistake to find the top right corner.

And then in the fifth minute of added time the home side won it. A Roberto Rosales cross from the right dropping for Sergi Darder on the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Superb first-time volley into the bottom left from Darder. 2-1 final score.

An important win for Espanyol seeing them move up to 13th position and crucially five points clear of the relegation zone.  No change for Vallecano who remain third bottom but just one point adrift of safety.