Valencia have climbed out of the relegation places in style in recent weeks and another win this weekend could put them on course to secure top-flight status. Espanyol are far from confirming their status and their relegation could be confirmed this weekend.
La Liga preview
It’s been a topsy-turvy month for Valencia as they eased out of the bottom three after putting together their best form. It looked incredibly unlikely that they would retain their top-flight status just two months ago as they were mired in a losing streak and there was little hope that they would break the trend. However, two consecutive wins have put them on course to maintain their status in the top flight.
But there was an ugly scene at Mestalla on Sunday as fans chanted vile abuse at Vinicius Jr during their clash against Real Madrid. Valencia took maximum points after Diego López’s effort, but the bigger story revolved around what was happening in the stands rather than what was happening on the pitch.
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Espanyol have not had the joy of pushing themselves out of the relegation zone of the league table so far. They remain 2nd in the table and have won just eight games all season. However, there have been hints of a spark in recent weeks after winning two of the previous five.
Espanyol were held to a home draw against Atletico in midweek when they came back from 3-0 down to salvage a memorable point. It was a morale-boosting performance from the home side, but they remain three points adrift of safety. A big performance on the road is needed this weekend to keep the fight for the top flight alive.
“Valencia” – “Espanyol”: duel
Each of the previous two meetings between these sides ended in a draw. The most recent of these was a 2-2 draw in October. Espanyol had a memorable 2-1 win last season, but they have won just two of their last 12 La Liga games against Valencia.
Valencia – Espanyol prediction
The pressure will be on Espanyol this weekend as they need to pick up maximum points to stave off their relegation on the final day. However, we find it hard to ignore Valencia’s recent upturn in form. Therefore, we will be siding with the home team to win should both teams find the net.
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