Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao 06/11/18

06 November 2018

Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao are set for a face-to-face encounter at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, as the hosts hope to extend a 4-game home winning streak.

The Periquitos are the only team in the Spanish top flight that have managed to wrap up a maximum of 12 points at home, as they’ve outplayed Valencia, Levante, Eibar, and Villarreal in Catalonia. Moreover, the Blanquiazules have only conceded one goal in front of the local fans, having kept a clean sheet three times, which puts them on a par with Atletico Madrid. Espanyol score an average of 1.40 goals per match, as they’ve only failed to find the back of the net once. Additionally, Rubi’s players have racked up four clean sheets so far, allowing more than one goal just two times in the process.

On the other hand, Los Leones are in a dreadful form, as they’ve failed to secure a victory in the previous nine La Liga matches. Apart from a 2-1 triumph over Leganes on the opening matchday, the Basque side have lost two league encounters while being held to seven draws in the process. Valencia are the only team in the Spanish top flight that recorded more draws than Athletic Bilbao. Furthermore, Los Rojiblancos are yet to play out anything but a draw on the road. With 15 goals conceded and just one clean sheet, the Eduardo Berizzo’s players have one of the weakest defensive records in La Liga. Meanwhile, Bilbao have failed to score two times so far, but an average of 1.10 goals scored per match, makes them one of the most uninspiring attacking sides.

Provisional line-up – Espanyol:

Gk: Diego Lopez Defense: Hermoso – David Lopez – Javi Lopez – Didac Vila Midfield: Sergi Darder – Hernan Perez – Marc Roca – Melendo Attack: Iglesias Quintas – Sergio Garcia

Provisional line-up – Athletic Bilbao:

Gk: Herrerin Defense: Martinez – San Jose – Capa – Berchiche – Alvarez Midfield: Raul Garcia – Dani Garcia – Mikel Rico Attack: Susaeta – Aritz Aduriz