Two La Liga teams in impressive form will lock horns at Mestalla for an intriguing match on Tuesday evening, with Valencia welcoming Espanyol.
Valencia, who are 14th in the La Liga table, will bring a seven-game unbeaten run into the contest, while 13th-placed Espanyol have been victorious in their last three league games.
Match preview
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Not too long ago, Valencia were in serious relegation danger, but that is no longer the case approaching the end of the campaign, with Los Che unbeaten in their last seven league games, recording four wins in the process.
Carlos Corberan's side posted three straight wins over Mallorca, Real Madrid and Sevilla before drawing 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano last time out, with the result moving them onto 38 points, eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Valencia have been impressive on home soil this season, picking up 27 points from their 16 matches in front of their own fans, but they have not actually managed to overcome Espanyol in La Liga since July 2020.
Each of the last four La Liga contests between the two sides have finished level, including a 1-1 draw in the reverse game earlier this season, while it was 2-2 in the corresponding fixture at Mestalla during the 2023-24 campaign.
Valencia finished ninth in La Liga last season - a top-half spot is still achievable this term despite their struggles, and Los Che will be bidding to end a largely disappointing campaign on a positive note.
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Espanyol, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 victory over Getafe, which made it three straight wins in Spain's top flight, also overcoming Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo since the start of the month.
Manolo Gonzalez's side have scored seven times and conceded zero in their last three league games, while it is 10 points from their last four matches, having also held Atletico Madrid to a draw at the end of March.
A record of 10 wins, eight draws and 13 defeats from 31 matches has brought the Catalan team 38 points, which has left them in 13th spot in the table, only five points behind eighth-placed Celta Vigo in the race for Europe.
Espanyol secured a return to La Liga through last season's Segunda Division playoffs, so any spot over 18th would be considered a successful campaign, with the team looking to consolidate back at this level.
The White and Blues have a recent away victory over Valencia to their game, meanwhile, triumphing 2-1 at Mestalla in December 2021, and they are unbeaten on their last two league visits to the famous stadium.
Team News
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Valencia will again be without the services of Thierry Correia due to a serious knee injury, but the home side are otherwise in strong shape, with no fresh issues being reported ahead of the contest.
Head coach Corberan may make just the one change to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Rayo, as Umar Sadiq is in line for a spot in the final third, with Hugo Duro potentially dropping to the bench.
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding the future of Javi Guerra, with a number of clubs said to be keen on the Spaniard, and he will once again line up in the middle for the in-form hosts.
As for Espanyol, Javi Puado will be back in the side after missing out against Getafe through suspension, but Brian Olivan and Jose Gragera remain unavailable for selection due to fitness problems.
Puado is expected to take the position of Antoniu Roca down the left, with Jofre Carreras set to retain his spot in the side.
Roberto Fernandez has been in excellent form for the club since arriving on loan from Braga in January, scoring five times in La Liga, and he will once again lead the Espanyol line in this contest.
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Tarrega, Mosquera, Gaya; Rioja, Guerra, Barrenechea, Almeida; D Lopez, Sadiq
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Lozano; Carreras, Exposito, Puado; R Fernandez
We say: Valencia 2-1 Espanyol
This is set to be a fascinating battle between two in-form teams, and we are expecting it to be close in terms of the scoreline; home advantage could be key, though, with Valencia potentially navigating their way to all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
