Espanyol vs Real Oviedo – News and Probable Lineups

Espanyol will continue their quest for their first win of 2026 on Monday night as they take on last-placed Real Oviedo at RCDE Stadium.

The Catalan club currently sits seventh in the La Liga standings, trailing sixth-placed Celta Vigo by four points, whereas Oviedo is at the bottom of the table, ten points adrift of 17th-placed Alaves.

Match overview

Espanyol rounded off 2025 with five consecutive league victories, marking a strong first half of the season for the White and Blues. However, 2026 has been quite disappointing for the Catalan team, causing them to fall out of the European qualification spots.

Manolo Gonzalez’s team has only secured three points from their last nine matches, including one point from a recent 2-2 draw with Elche.

This season, Espanyol has accumulated 36 points across 26 league matches, placing them seventh in the standings, four points behind the sixth-placed Celta.

At home, the White and Blues have earned 20 points from 13 league fixtures, while Oviedo has successfully registered only one away win during the 2025-26 season.

Earlier this season, Espanyol achieved a 2-0 victory against Oviedo in their previous encounter, and they’ll be aiming for a league double over the Blues.

Oviedo has suffered three losses in their last four meetings with Espanyol, and they haven’t managed to secure a victory against the Catalan side in their away matches since September 1991.

There’s no denying that it has been a challenging season for the Blues, who are competing at this level for the first time since 2000-01.

Guillermo Almada’s squad will come into this match following a 3-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano and have dropped three of their last four fixtures in La Liga.

Oviedo’s record stands at three wins, eight draws, and 15 losses from their 26 league encounters this season, leaving them with 17 points and at the foot of the table, ten points behind 17th-placed Alaves, making survival a difficult task at this point.

Scoring has been a significant hurdle for them this season, netting just 16 times in 26 matches, the worst offensive record in the league.

Spanish La Liga form:

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Real Oviedo La Liga form:

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Team News

Espanyol will be without their long-term absentee Javi Puado due to injury, while Antoniu Roca is expected to undergo a late fitness check.

The Catalan team will also be missing both Charles Pickel and Edu Exposito on Monday due to suspension, with the former receiving a red card against Elche and the latter accumulating a caution in that same fixture.

Kike Garcia has found the net seven times in all competitions this season, and the experienced forward is anticipated to retain his place in the starting lineup.

As for Real Oviedo, David Costas, Eric Bailly, Ovie Ejaria, Thiago Borbas, and Leander Dendoncker all need late fitness assessments.

Federico Vinas has scored five times in La Liga this season, and he should occupy another role in the attacking third.

Santi Cazorla might be considered for inclusion in the midfield, yet the seasoned forward is likely to start on the bench when the match kicks off.

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Zarate; Dolan, Terrats, Milla; K Garcia

Real Oviedo probable starting XI:

Scandal; Vidal, Carmo, Calvo, Lopez; Fonseca, Sibo; Hassan, Reina, Chaira; Wines

Espanyol’s first win of 2026 may be on the horizon; given Oviedo’s struggles at this level, while it could be a tight scoreline, we expect Espanyol to secure all three points on Monday.