Verdict: Both teams to score – No
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: Dachbet
With their scrap for La Liga safety going right down to the wire, Espanyol will welcome and already-relegated Las Palmas to the RCDE Stadium on Saturday evening.
Espanyol
Starting with the hosts, while Espanyol might have opened April in the midst of a stellar three-match winning run and appeared to be cruising their way to La Liga safety, Manolo Gonzalez’s men have come crashing back down to earth in some style. Getting their season finale underway holding a two-point buffer over the drop zone, the parakeets have a tremendous amount of pressure on their shoulders. Last seen falling to a toothless 2-0 loss away at Osasuna, the Catalonia-based outfit have lost all of their previous six consecutive La Liga appearances. Likewise, hit with another 2-0 defeat when they welcomed bitter local rivals Barcelona to the RCDE Stadium last weekend, Espanyol have suffered back-to-back defeats in front of their owns supporters for the first time this season.
Espanyol Team News
Picking up what was a costly first-half booking during last weekend’s 2-0 loss against Osasuna, Roma loanee Marash Kumbulla will miss out through suspension here. Both still dealing with respective long-term injury issues, the duo of Brian Olivan and academy graduate Jose Catala will not feature on Saturday evening.
Despite notching just a single goal in his previous seven La Liga appearances, 22-year-old Roberto Fernandez Jaen will shoulder plenty of Espanyol’s goalscoring threat. Real Sociedad loanee Urko Gonzalez will partner Pol Lozano in the middle of the park.
Las Palmas
As for the visitors, while Las Palmas might have managed to drag themselves to La Liga safety last season, Diego Martinez’s men failed to pull off another great escape this time around. With their fate already confirmed, Los Amarillos are limping their way over the finishing line and are simply hoping to give their fans some kind of boost here. However, last seen falling to a 1-0 loss at home against Leganes, the former Olympiacos boss has seen his downbeat squad lose all of their previous six consecutive La Liga appearances. Losing their previous three outings against top-flight opposition by a 1-0 scoreline, Las Palmas have shown some extended issues in the final third. Drawing a blank in four of their last five La Liga defeats, Saturday’s guests have also drawn back-to-back blanks away from the Estadio Gran Canaria.
Las Palmas Team News
Shown a first-half booking against Leganes last weekend, former Levante midfielder Jose Campana will serve a one-match suspension on Saturday evening. Dealing with a knock and missing out at the Estadio Gran Canaria last week, Liverpool loanee Stefan Bajcetic remains a doubt.
In what looks set to be his final appearance for Martinez’s squad, ex-Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie should spearhead Los Amarillos attack. Former Nottingham Forest star Scott McKenna could keep his spot at the heart of Martinez’s defence.
Key Factors to Consider
When Espanyol and Las Palmas met for their reverse La Liga meeting on December 22nd, Los Amarillos collected a 1-0 victory on home soil.
However, with their relegation already confirmed, Las Palmas have lost all of their previous five La Liga appearances.
Saturday’s guests have drawn a blank in four of those five top-flight defeats.
Holding just a two-point buffer over the drop zone, Espanyol have lost their previous five straight La Liga appearances.
The Parakeets have suffered consecutive La Liga defeats at the RCDE Stadium for the first time this season.
Conclusion
Getting their season finale underway holding just a two-point buffer over the drop zone, Espanyol are bracing themselves for what is a monumental challenge on Saturday evening. However, two camps who are really limping their way over the finishing line, we look set for a nail-biting showdown from the RCDE Stadium here. With only one of the last six meetings between Espanyol and Las Palmas finishing with both teams finding the net, chances could come at a premium.
Verdict: Both teams to score – No
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: Dachbet
