Espanyol vs Deportivo – News and Probable Lineups

Deportivo La Coruna aims to secure their third consecutive victory across competitions when they face Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday afternoon.

Coming into this match, the opponents will be riding high after a recent 2-1 triumph over Osasuna, while Espanyol achieved a commendable 1-0 success against Villarreal in their latest outing.

Match overview

Espanyol has recorded three wins, two draws, and six losses in their 11 league matches this season, leaving them with 11 points and situated in 14th place in the La Liga standings.

The White and Blues had faced three defeats in a row prior to their encounter with Villarreal, which included a surprising 4-3 loss to Sestao, a fourth-tier team, in the Copa del Rey.

A second-half strike from Leandro Cabrera earned valuable points in their away match against the Yellow Submarine, marking a positive start for the new head coach Eder Sarabia, although first-team coach Sergio Garcia managed the team during that particular match.

Espanyol holds a narrow edge in their overall encounters with Deportivo, having secured 39 victories compared to Deportivo’s 35, though their most recent clash ended in a goalless draw in February 2018.

The Catalan side has actually remained unbeaten against Deportivo since September 2015, claiming three victories and drawing two in their last five meetings.

Deportivo have not claimed an away victory against Espanyol since June 2007, which highlights the challenge they face in this upcoming fixture.

The Blue and Whites, who finished second in last season’s Segunda Division to return to the top tier, currently sit eighth in the La Liga table, having accumulated 14 points from three wins, five draws, and three losses.

Antonio Hidalgo’s side secured a 3-0 win against Auriense in the Copa del Rey at the end of October, and they began November with a 2-1 victory over Osasuna.

Deportivo will next take on Espanyol and Alaves around the November international break, concluding the month with a home encounter against Barcelona.

Team News

Espanyol is again likely to be without Jofre Carreras and Kike Garcia due to injuries this weekend, but they appear otherwise in good form.

This match will mark Sarabia’s debut as head coach, and it is expected he might stick with a similar lineup given the performance and result against Villarreal.

Roberto Fernandez has managed to find the back of the net seven times in 12 outings this season and is poised to feature again in attack.

For Deportivo, Bright Ede, Zakaria Eddahchouri, and Marc Casado will still be out of selection, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back from injury, having come on as a substitute in the match with Osasuna after missing six games.

Aubameyang has netted five goals in eight league appearances so far but is still likely to begin on the bench instead of entering the starting XI, as Bil Nsongo has scored twice in his last three appearances.

Adama Traore is also expected to make an impact from the bench for the visitors after impressing in the latter part of the Osasuna fixture.

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Fortune; El Hilali, Drkusic, Cabrera, Hinojo; Exposito, Bauza; Santiago, Hernandez, Zaragoza; Fernandez

Deportivo La Coruna probable starting XI:

Roman; Altimira, Loureiro, Gimenez, Quagliata; Soriano, Amatucci; Mella, Lusimi, Hernandez; Nsongo

Both teams will arrive for this match following commendable league victories, making it a challenging task to predict a winner, with an entertaining draw appearing to be a possibility.