Espanyol are one of the form teams in La Liga right now having gone 6 matches without defeat and won 2 of their last 3. The main change has been a big improvement in their defence and Quique Sánchez Flores must take a lot of credit for that. Having let in 6 on the opening day and conceded a lot of goals last season, they’ve looked really tough to break down in recent weeks and have kept clean sheets in 42% of their matches overall, including 5 of their last 6.
There is still work to be done at the other end and they have failed to score in 67% of their home games so far which has been a big problem. They are yet to win at home but with Leganes in town, they should get more chances than in recent weeks at the RCDE Stadium and this looks like a great opportunity to record that elusive home win.
Leganes have done quite well for a newly promoted side but defensively they’ve looked vulnerable at times. They’ve conceded 1.83 goals per game on average and had lost 4 league games in a row prior to a 2-0 win over struggling Osasuna on Monday. Midfielder Robert Ibañez scored both goals in that game and they have a few lively midfielders but there is very little up front to worry a side that is defending as well as Espanyol, so they’ll be confident they can keep a 6th clean sheet in 7 here.
3 of Leganes’ 4 victories so far this season have come against sides currently in the bottom four but against teams from mid-table and up, they’ve generally been exposed. They’ve lost 7 of those other 8 games and with Espanyol in a good run of form and with home advantage, backing Espanyol to win at 17/20 looks like the best approach here.
Espanyol Predicted Starting Line-up
With four clean sheets in a row behind them going into this game, defensive solidity has been at the heart of Espanyol's recent success and a place in the top of La Liga is up for grabs for them.
Hernan Perez is not available due to suspension, but there are unlikely to be a lot of changes made by their coach, Quique Sanchez Flores. Gerard Moreno has hit five goals in La Liga already this season and he is set to be a major threat for Espanyol in this game.
Leganes Predicted Starting Line-up
Alexander Szymanowski is the main injury absentee for Leganes as he is their top goalscorer in the league so far this season, with a pair of strikes to his name in La Liga.
Diego Rico, Adrian Marin and Robert Ibanez complete a foursome of players expected to be unavailable for this one. Omar Ramos is back from injury for Leganes, however, with the side having lost three in a row on the road in the league without scoring a single goal.
Espanyol vs Leganes Head-to-Head Stats
This will be the first ever La Liga meeting between Espanyol and Leganes, so there is nothing to be learned for our prediction from the head-to-head record between the sides here.
Espanyol vs Leganes Prediction
Espanyol have drawn three in a row at home but they are not conceding a lot of goals and have a decent unbeaten streak behind them, while Leganes only recently ended their losing sequence.
The hosts are justifiably strong favourites in the betting odds for this game and should be able to get all three points on the board, especially as Leganes are without their main striker, Szymanowski, due to injury.
Espanyol vs Leganes Betting Tips and Odds
Betting odds of 10/11 on an Espanyol victory look to be a very good price here, with Leganes having drawn a blank in three straight away games. But the draw is also tempting at 5/2 as Espanyol have been struggling to collect all three points of late, with three draws in a row at home. Leganes can be backed at 17/4 but there is little interest in siding with the outsiders here.
As Espanyol have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six matches in the league, Espanyol to win to nil appeals at 20/11, as does Espanyol to beat Leganes 1-0 on the correct scores betting odds at 5/1. With under 2.5 goals having been scored in six of Espanyol's last seven league games, under 2.5 goals is a sensible selection at 31/50.
Predicted scoreline: Espanyol to beat Leganes 1-0.
