Malaga vs Espanyol – News and Probable Lineups

Malaga and Espanyol are both looking to recover from back-to-back losses as they prepare to continue their La Liga journeys with a match on Friday night.

The visitors currently sit in 15th place on the La Liga standings, having gathered seven points from seven matches, while Malaga is sitting at the very bottom of the table with three points.

Match overview

Malaga has not recorded a single victory, with three draws and four defeats from their seven league games this season, leaving them in last place with just three points.

The White and Sky Blues began September with two consecutive draws against Levante and Celta Vigo before facing defeats against Villarreal and Getafe leading up to the international break.

Having achieved promotion back to La Liga through the Segunda Division playoffs in the 2025-26 season, early signs indicate that this could be a tough campaign for Juan Francisco Funes’ team, who will be eager to record their initial win of the season on Friday.

The Andalusian side has lost their last five encounters against Espanyol, which includes a 3-0 loss when the teams last met in May 2021.

Malaga’s last victory over Espanyol came in March 2012, with their current streak of 14 matches against them resulting in zero wins, all of which have been in league play.

Espanyol has secured two victories, drawn once, and suffered four losses in their seven league matches this season, placing them 15th in the standings with seven points.

The Catalan side did begin their 2026-27 campaign with a solid win, defeating Levante 3-0, while their second league triumph came against Osasuna on September 12.

However, Manolo Gonzalez’s squad went into the international break following two successive defeats, losing 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano and then a 3-1 defeat at home to Elche.

Having finished 11th in Spain’s top division last season, they exhibited signs of being a potential Champions League contender early on, but a dip in form in the latter half of the season cost them a European spot.

Given Espanyol’s strong track record against Malaga, they should enter this fixture with high confidence, especially against a team that has managed to find the net only three times in their first seven league fixtures of the 2026-27 season.

Team News

Malaga may again be missing Fernando Calero, Julen Lobete, Diego Murillo, and Aaron Ochoa due to injuries for their league clash with Espanyol this Friday night.

Adam Aznou has also missed Malaga’s previous three matches because of an injury and is uncertain for the game against the Catalan side.

Chupe started from the bench in their last fixture against Getafe, but he is likely to be reinstated in the starting XI for this encounter.

On the Espanyol side, Omar El Hilali has completed his suspension and is poised to return to the starting lineup for this match.

Javi Puado and Kike Garcia remain sidelined due to injury, while Jofre Carreras will undergo a late fitness assessment because of a groin issue.

Roberto Fernandez has found the back of the net six times in his seven league appearances this season and will be crucial in the final third of the pitch.

Malaga probable starting XI:

Blacksmith; Rafita, Recio, Berrocal, Salinas; Rodriguez; Larrubia, Dotor, Lorenzo, Chupe; Jauregi

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Nunez, Cabrera, Hinojo; Exposito, Gonzalez; Calatrava, J Hernandez, Zaragoza; R Fernandez

It is notoriously challenging to predict results immediately following an international break, but a close match is anticipated, with the possibility of the points being shared in a low-scoring draw.