Valencia – Espanyol

Espanyol forced to open up against Valencia to avoid relegation to the Segunda

On Sunday 28 May, Valencia face Espanyol at home. The hosts have all but ensured their survival in La Liga, while for the Catalans the next game is crucial. In the event of a defeat, the club can prepare to play in the Segunda. For Valencia, the game against Real Madrid was the decisive encounter. "The Mousses left an emotional duel in the backdrop of the Vinicius scandal. On the sporting side alone, Valencia's quality of play has improved significantly. New coach Ruben Baraha has been able to motivate his players. So far, only the team's spirit has helped them achieve a lot. In their last seven matches, the club have picked up four wins and have moved away from the danger zone. Valencia were better than their opponents in the Mallorca game as well. One could complain about bad luck. The team created at least two goals, while the opponents converted a rare chance. In the last ten meetings, the Mousses are of a quality equal to a European Cup challenger. The absence of injuries is an important asset for the coaches. All key performers picked up their form towards the end of the season. If we compare them with the outsiders, Baraha have a very wide choice of players to strengthen in the second half. This is a factor in favour of a significant advantage for the hosts. Defence has unexpectedly been Valencia's strong point under Baraha. The team has not played a single match for a total of more than three in ten rounds. Espanyol goes into the away fixture on a moral high ground. The club made a historic comeback against Atletico. The Catalans are 0-3 down. A draw with one of the league leaders kept their hopes of survival alive. Prior to that, Luis García's side had snatched an away win against Rayo Vallecano. In other words, character is not a problem, but play remains subpar. Espanyol are experiencing global difficulties in defence. The change of coach has only exacerbated the problems. Espanyol have conceded fourteen goals in their last four encounters. The club have no major problems with their squad. Only midfielder José Graguera is on the injured list. The last head-to-head encounters between the two clubs have been extremely entertaining. In the first leg, the opponents scored two goals against each other. Prior to that, the other two games were played in goal-exchange stakes. Espanyol currently have four consecutive top-flight encounters. An open scenario is evident in the next match as well. Valencia will try to close out the season nicely with a win. Espanyol have no margin for error. The club is not satisfied with a draw. The Catalans have a game in the last round against Betis. In any case, the visitors will be focused on attack.