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Villarreal welcomes Espanyol to Estadio de la Ceramica on Friday, October 30, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 PM CET.
The home side has 12 points from its opening 10 La Liga matches, while Espanyol has eight and arrives under interim coach Sergio Garcia following the dismissal of Manolo Gonzalez.
Verdict: Villarreal to win
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 1xBet
Villarreal has had an uneven start to the season, but the past week has given Inigo Perez something to build on.
Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory at Valencia was particularly valuable. Alex Freeman canceled out Pepelu’s penalty before Georges Mikautadze scored the winner deep into stoppage time, with both teams finishing the derby with ten men.
Perez’s substitutions helped change that match. Mikautadze, Alberto Moleiro and Sergi Cardona all contributed after coming off the bench, giving the coach useful options as he considers his lineup for Friday.
Villarreal then beat Manacor 5-0 in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday. Five different players scored, including Nicolas Pepe on his return from injury.
The level of opposition puts that result into perspective, but progressing comfortably allowed Villarreal to avoid the exhausting evening Espanyol experienced in its own cup tie.
There is still work to do in the league. Villarreal has won only one of its four home matches this season, and its last La Liga appearance at La Ceramica ended in a goalless draw against Elche.
That record calls for some restraint. Even so, the recent improvement, attacking alternatives and Espanyol’s defensive problems give the home side a reasonable opportunity to collect another three points.
Moleiro’s ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas should be especially useful if Espanyol sits deep and asks Villarreal to find a way through.
Pape Gueye is suspended following his dismissal at Valencia.
Ilias Akhomach is also unavailable with a muscle problem, while Carlos Romero and Nathan Saliba remain doubts. The latest injury update indicates that Romero and Saliba are approaching a return, although their involvement is still uncertain.
Pepe is available again after recovering from eye surgery and scoring against Manacor.
Carlos Macia and Santi Comesana are options in central midfield, where Gueye’s absence leaves an important gap.
Mikautadze should be pushing for a start after deciding the Valencia match. Gerard Moreno, Ayoze Perez and Tani Oluwaseyi give Perez further choices up front, while Moleiro and Tajon Buchanan can provide support from wider positions.
Espanyol’s week has brought a cup exit and a change of coach, leaving very little preparation time before another difficult away match.
Tuesday’s 4-3 defeat at fourth-tier Sestao River came after extra time. Espanyol had led early, equalized late in normal time and then moved ahead again in the additional period, only to concede twice more and lose to a goal in the 121st minute.
Gonzalez was dismissed after that result. The club has since confirmed that Sergio Garcia will take charge against Villarreal.
The former Espanyol forward inherits a side that has collected one point from its last five league matches. Its most recent La Liga defeat followed a familiar pattern: Edu Exposito put Espanyol ahead at Racing Santander, but the home side recovered to win 2-1.
Scoring has therefore offered little protection against defeat. Espanyol has found the net in seven consecutive away league games, yet its inability to defend promising positions continues to undermine those contributions.
Garcia may get a more determined performance from the players, particularly with places in the team being reconsidered. He has limited time to address the defensive organization, though, and Tuesday’s 120 minutes add a physical burden to an already difficult assignment.
Keeping the opening stages competitive will matter. If Villarreal takes the lead, Espanyol will have to chase the game with confidence already fragile.
Jofre Carreras and Kike Garcia remain unavailable through injury.
Javi Puado has returned to the first-team picture after a lengthy absence, although his minutes are still being managed.
Roberto Fernandez is expected to lead the attack. He has scored six league goals this season and remains Espanyol’s clearest threat in the penalty area.
Bryan Zaragoza should provide an outlet on the left, with Exposito and Pol Lozano among the midfield options. Angel Fortuno could return in goal after Marko Dmitrovic played in the cup defeat.
Garcia’s appointment introduces some uncertainty over the formation and individual selections. With only a short period to prepare, retaining familiar combinations while tightening the defensive shape would be a reasonable starting point.
Villarreal’s home record prevents this from looking straightforward, and Espanyol has enough attacking quality to create problems through Roberto Fernandez and Zaragoza.
The visitor’s difficulties run deeper than scoring, though. Leads have repeatedly disappeared, the cup defeat required an additional 30 minutes, and Garcia has little time to reorganize the team before Friday.
Villarreal arrives with two victories behind it and several attacking options available to Perez. The changes that decided the Valencia match also suggest it can improve from the bench if the opening lineup struggles to break through.
The home side looks better placed to turn its chances into a winning result.
Villarreal to win is the best selection.
Verdict: Villarreal to win
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 1xBet
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