Espanyol seek redemption, while Elche are still winless: Espanyol vs Elche prediction
The Matchday 7 La Liga clash between Espanyol and Elche will take place on September 18 at the RCDE Stadium. The hosts have collected seven points and sit eighth, while the visitors are bottom of the table with just two points.
Espanyol: inconsistent results at the start of the season
Manolo González's side have recorded two wins, one draw, and three defeats. In September, the Catalans first shared the spoils with Sevilla, then beat Osasuna 2-0, before losing 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano in the previous round.
The hosts are dealing with personnel issues ahead of this encounter: Omar El Hilali is suspended, while Javi Puado, Kike García, Jofre Carreras, and Andoni Gorosabel remain sidelined with injuries. At the same time, Espanyol are unbeaten against Elche in their last six head-to-head meetings.
Elche: the league's worst defense
Martín Anselmi's team are still waiting for their first win of the season, having registered two draws and four defeats. In the previous round, Elche put up a serious fight against Real Madrid and battled back from 0-2 down, but conceded the decisive goal in stoppage time and went down 3-2.
Defense remains the main problem: the team have conceded 16 goals in six rounds, the worst record in La Liga. However, Elche look considerably more dangerous in attack and have already scored eight goals.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Espanyol are unbeaten against Elche in their last six head-to-head meetings.
- Elche have conceded 16 goals in six rounds — the worst record in the league.
- The last meeting between these teams ended in a 2-2 draw.
Visitors can fight for points: Espanyol vs Elche prediction
Espanyol have been more consistent in terms of results and will enjoy home advantage, but their long list of absentees could affect the quality of their performance. Elche, meanwhile, showed against Real Madrid that they can cause problems for stronger opponents.
The visitors still make too many mistakes at the back, but they are dangerous enough going forward. In an evenly matched encounter, both teams could find the net and share the points.
