Espanyol will be bidding to get back on track in La Liga this weekend, as they look to end a four-game losing run. They will play host to Athletic Bilbao, who have landed just a single win in their previous five league matches.
La Liga Preview
It looks set to be a huge final month of the season for Espanyol, as they are starring down the barrel of relegation to the second tier. They come into the 28th round of fixtures in Spain sitting 18th in the standings, but they could move up to 15th in the standings with a victory at home this weekend. However, they come into this showdown after having lost each of their previous four.
Their most recent loss was suffered last weekend, as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away from home against Girona. Espanyol appeared to be headed toward a point in that fixture after Martin Braithwaite’s equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, but the hosts secured a huge three points after netting the winning with a minute remaining of the 90.
There will also be pressure on Bilbao coming into this round of fixtures in Spain, as their hopes of a European finish this term are hanging in the balance. Bilbao has won just once in their previous five, and they now find themselves seven points behind sixth-placed Villarreal.
In their most recent match, they were held to a goalless draw at home against Getafe. Bilbao offered extremely little in the final third of that match, as they managed just three shots on target, despite having 65% of the possession. They will need to take more risks in the attacking third this weekend.
Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao Head to Head
Both Bilbao and Espanyol has picked up just one victory in the previous four fixtures between the sides. Two of the meetings over this period have ended in 1-1 draws, including this exact fixture last season. Espanyol will be looking for a league double this weekend, as they registered a 1-0 win in the previous meeting this term.
Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
This is a tricky match to predict in La Liga this weekend, as both sides have struggled in the final third in recent weeks. However, Bilbao’s attention this week will likely be on the Copa del Rey, which means Espanyol could be well positioned to take advantage and claim victory.
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