Preview: Getafe vs. Espanyol - prediction, team news, lineups

Getafe welcome Espanyol to Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday evening still seeking their first win of the La Liga campaign.

The hosts are bottom of the division with just three points from their first 11 matches, while Espanyol are in 10th after going four games without defeat.

Match preview

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After beginning their season with seven successive defeats, Getafe have at least managed to make themselves a little tougher to beat since Quique Sanchez Flores took charge.

The Azulones have drawn three of their last four matches, taking points off Real Sociedad, Levante and Granada, either side of a defeat to Celta Vigo.

Those three points have not exactly done a great deal for Getafe in terms of their survival prospects, though, as they remain five points from safety.

That recent 3-0 loss to Celta Vigo leaves Getafe with just one win to their name in their last 11 home matches, failing to score in seven of those.

Espanyol have struggled on their travels, however, with their most recent away victory in La Liga coming back in January 2020 - a winless run spanning 14 matches.

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The recently-promoted club have managed to take a point from three of their five away matches this season, which combined with their positive home form places them in the top half.

Indeed, Vicente Moreno's men enter this contest unbeaten in four games overall, following up wins over Real Madrid and Cadiz with draws against Elche and Athletic Bilbao.

On their best unbeaten run in La Liga since May 2019, Espanyol will see this as a chance to put three more points on the board and continue their ascent up the division.

However, Espanyol are winless in five matches with Getafe since November 2017, the last three of those meetings finishing all square.

Team News

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Getafe remain without suspended defender Chema, but Djene is back in contention for a starting spot after serving a ban against Granada.

Flores may stick with a similar lineup from that most recent match, with the exception of Djene coming in.

As for the visitors, Raul de Tomas was sent off late on against Athletic Bilbao in midweek and will therefore serve a suspension on Sunday.

That opens a gap up top, which will likely be occupied by Loren Moron, who has just one league start to his name so far this season.

David Lopez is another player in contention for a recall to the side, possibly in place of Manu Morlanes.

Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Nyom, Djene, Mitrovic, Cuenca; Suarez, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Alena; Unal, Poveda

Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Di. Lopez; Vidal, Gomez, Cabrera, Pedrosa; Da. Lopez, Darder; Melamed, Melendo, Embarba; Moron

We say: Getafe 1-1 Espanyol

Espanyol are on a good run of form and enter this game 11 points better off than their opponents but, like in their most recent La Liga campaign, away wins have so far eluded them.

Getafe have improved under Flores with three draws from their last four games and, with this fixture providing many draws in recent years, we can only see it finishing one way.

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