Espanyol slipped to 9th in La Liga as they held Villarreal to a goalless draw at El Madrigal, but they can now skip several places in the standings with a win over Real Sociedad. The Basque side ended the three-match losing run in style having recorded a 4-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano and are now hoping to bring at least one point from Cornella El Prat.

Champions League dream still alive

Three years ago when Mauricio Pochettino took over the reigns, Espanyol were a boring mid table side with only one thing on their mind – to escape the difficult relegation fight. Now, los Periquitos are fighting for Champions League places and proving a worthy opponent for even the best sides in the league. Espanyol are slowly becoming a real force to be reckoned with at their Cornella El Prat, although they still suffer occasional slip-ups at home. The team were significantly reinforced in the winter transfer window, with Kalu Uche and Philippe Coutinho creating instant impact, and with star forward Sergio Garcia back after recovering from injury, Espanyol look ready for the final push. After bringing a credible point from El Madrigal, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have a good chance to further close the gap behind their top 4 rivals, and beating a team that have 10 defeats in 15 away games this season shouldn’t prove too difficult.

Rui Fonte and Juan Albin remain injury doubts, whereas back-up keeper Cristian Alvarez is not yet ready to return from a hamstring injury.

Important victory over Rayo

Despite surviving last La Liga campaign by just two points, Real Sociedad chiefs decided to enter the new season with virtually unchanged squad and that strategy is producing decent results. After 30 La Liga rounds, Txuri-urdin sit in 14th place in the standings with 36 points to their name, but, most importantly, they sit eight points clear of the relegation zone. The team just ended the three-match losing run with an impressive 4-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, but they are aware they will face much tougher task against Espanyol. Having lost last five away games in the elite division and 10 of last 15, Real Sociedad clearly don’t have much reason for optimism before the clash with one of the best hosts in La Liga.

Key defender Inigo Martinez suffered a torn meniscus against Rayo and has been ruled out for the season, but there are no other fresh worries.

Verdict

Espanyol are playing well at the moment, especially at their Cornella El Prat and los Periquitos should have enough quality to see off one of the worst travelers in La Liga. Having lost last five away games, Real Sociedad cannot be expected to fare any better against very good Espanyol side.

Our prediction: Home win

Odds: 1.91 (10/11)

Bookmaker: William Hill