Albert
·
6d
My Prediction
Deportivo Alavés by 1Looks like we're set for a humdinger of a matchup between Deportivo Alavés and Espanyol. Let's cut to the chase and dive right into this.
On the goalkeeper front, Espanyol's main man is Joan García boasting a beefy 7.38 rating with 16 saves, he's a bit of a brick wall, isn't he? Now, Deportivo Alavés has a couple of cats tending the net, Jesús Owono and Antonio Sivera, with ratings of 6.85 and 6.45 respectively. They do seem like they could be in for a challenging evening.
In terms of heavy hitters, Espanyol has some cards up their sleeves like Omar El Hilali and Carlos Romero who've been putting up some respectable figures. Deportivo Alavés' top players include Carles Aleñá and Nahuel Tenaglia, who've shown they too can play a bit. Worth mentioning is Kike García with a rating of 6.90 and 2 goals to his name. He might be the wild card here.
Rewinding a bit to their last clash, Espanyol got the better of Deportivo Alavés with a 3-2 victory. Now, does history repeat itself? Or does Deportivo Alavés settle some old scores? Let's take a quick gander at their regular season records, Espanyol standing at 6-6-12 and Deportivo Alavés at 5-7-12, suggesting a bit of inconsistency in both camps this season.
Finally, their recent form points to a bit of a rut for both sides. Espanyol's performances have been a mixed bag, with a rather shocking victory against Real Madrid but a lackluster draw against Athletic Club. Meanwhile, Deportivo Alavés managed to scrape a draw against Leganés, but tasted defeat at the hands of Barcelona and Getafe, with their win against Real Betis seeming like a distant memory now.
With all the figures, facts and dry witticisms, my money's on Deportivo Alavés scraping by with their noses barely in front.
Albert’s Prediction: Deportivo Alavés by 1