Key Facts
- Espanyol goes into the home game in fifth place (34 points); with Betis just two points behind and Villarreal seven points ahead, three points are important for the European race.
- Alaves are under pressure in 15th place with 22 points; they are only one point behind Valencia and level on points with Rayo, so a defeat could see them slip further down the table.
- Espanyol have slipped since Christmas: just one win, then three defeats and a draw; they have conceded goals in all five games, often after the break.
- Puado is out long term with a cruciate ligament rupture, which reduces Espanyol’s wing penetration; González must get more out of Lozano, Expósito or Dolan and Fernández/Milla in a 4-4-2 formation.
- The last five games without a draw were mostly close: four halftime draws, four decided by just one goal, and 4/5 stayed under 3.5 goals.
- With odds of 1.95 and 3.2, BTTS and over 1.5 goals after the break are obvious choices, because Alaves has scored late goals in 80% of its recent games and Espanyol has conceded in the second half in 80% of its games.
Sometimes the context tells the story: a European hopeful that has recently stumbled welcomes a guest that needs every point to avoid relegation. La Liga returns to the RCDE Stadium on Friday when Manolo González’s Espanyol, fifth in the table with 34 points, host Eduardo Coudet’s Deportivo Alaves on matchday 22. Espanyol are seven points behind Villarreal and only two points ahead of Real Betis – a real chance to stabilize their push for Europe. Alaves travel to 15th in the table with 22 points, one point behind Valencia and level on points with Rayo Vallecano. At the same time, Espanyol’s league form has dipped, with three defeats and a draw in 2026, and last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Valencia caused a stir after the referees’ committee reviewed the penalty incident involving Sánchez and Valencia’s Beltrán. Puado is out long term, shaping Manolo González’s attacking options. Alaves come into this game on the back of a 2-1 win over Betis, and they beat Espanyol 2-1 in November in a series that has tended to be close at the start. Bookmakers make Espanyol clear home favorites, but the draw is considered a realistic option, which fits with the rhythm of this fixture. The last five meetings have not produced any draws, but first halves often end in stalemate before the game opens up after the break. With Alaves needing some breathing room above the bottom of the table and Espanyol defending fifth place, the tension should be palpable from the start.
- Venue: RCDE Stadium, Cornella de Llobregat
- Date and time: January 30, 2026, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 22)
A look at the markets also fits in with this: the market makes Espanyol the clear home favorite (odds 1.95), draw 3.2 – but the controversy surrounding a penalty at Mestalla, Puado’s injury, and talks of additional outside help such as Ngonge point to a rougher night in which Alaves could well steal a goal.
Espanyol form & record check
Espanyol’s form since Christmas has been difficult to gloss over: a 2-1 win at Athletic Club was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona, a 1-1 draw at Levante, a 2-0 defeat to Girona and a 3-2 defeat in Valencia. The defeat at Mestalla summed up the month: brief bursts of offense and decent character after Terrats’ goal, then another lapse in concentration late on, amid a penalty controversy. Interestingly, patterns are hard to ignore. Their first halves have been cautious, with under 1.5 goals in four of the last five and no halftime wins, yet every game has exceeded the 1.5 goal mark and they have conceded in all five, often after the break. Fifth with 34 points is still strong, but Betis are only two points behind and Villarreal are seven points ahead, so the gaps are narrowing. Puado’s injury has dampened their sharpness, so González will have to get more out of Lozano, Expósito, Dolan, and the reference point Fernández or Kike García.
Espanyol are expected to line up in a 4-4-2, operating in a midfield block and trying to play directly into the channels. Dmitrovic is likely to start in goal, with Sánchez, Calero, Cabrera, and Romero forming a back four that prioritizes clearances and early challenges. The setup should remain compact, with the fullbacks waiting for their moments to support wing play. In midfield, González and Lozano are the most likely double six pairing to secure transitions and play early passes, while Jofre and Terrats could provide width. Up front, Fernández and Milla are the likely duo, one with stretching runs, the other as a link-up player. Puado remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, so Dolan or Expósito would be plausible options in the game if more punch is needed.
Alaves Form & Record Check
Alaves travel to the RCDE Stadium in 15th place in La Liga with 22 points, a position that seems more precarious than comfortable. They are one point behind Valencia and level on points with Rayo Vallecano, so a bad night could immediately put them back in trouble. Coudet has solidified the fundamentals, and with no injuries reported, the lineup is no excuse. The 2-1 win over Betis was the best kind of response, sharp early and pragmatic later, even if the late goal conceded pointed to familiar nerves. Away at Atletico, they lost 1-0, competitive but with too few chances. The 3-1 defeat at Villarreal exposed spaces behind the midfield. They also drew 1-1 with Oviedo and then beat Rayo 2-0 in the Copa del Rey. Little usually happens before the break, with four of the last five first halves ending level and they haven’t conceded before halftime in this run. After the restart, things can get chaotic, with goals in the second half in four of five games, and Alaves scoring in four of five games but also conceding. Boyé’s link play and Martínez’s finishing help, but Blanco and Guevara can still lose control.
Interestingly, Coudet is likely to stick with a familiar 4-4-2, with Sivera in goal and a back four of Tenaglia, Garcés, Pacheco, and Otto. The predicted midfield trio consists of Parada on the right, Blanco and Ibáñez in the center, while Aleñá starts on the left but drifts inside. Up front, Martínez could act as a reference point alongside Boyé. With no injuries reported, this seems more like a choice of balance than a forced change. Blanco should dictate the tempo and shield the center backs, while Aleñá’s tighter positioning could temporarily transform the system into a 4-3-1-2 when in possession. If Coudet wants more bite or control later on, Guevara, Protesoni, or Guridi are the most likely changes in midfield.
Espanyol – Alaves Head-to-Head & Statistics
Espanyol leads the head-to-head record with three wins to two, with no draws. The most recent meeting in November 2025 went to Alaves, 2-1, after Espanyol had won 1-0 in February 2025. Before that, Espanyol secured a 3-2 win in 2024, while Alaves was successful 2-1 in 2022, and Espanyol won 1-0 in 2021. Four of these five games were tied at halftime, a striking series that repeats itself, but none ended in a draw. The pattern shows that the game opens up after the break, and it is often Espanyol who find the decisive moment. Interestingly, the second halves have also been low-scoring for the most part, so it’s less about chaos and more about timing. The margins are narrow. Four of the five were decided by a single goal, and even in the 3-2 game in 2024, it was more a key phase than a dominant victory. A total of 13 goals were scored in the five encounters, an average of 2.6 per game, and 4 out of 5 remained below 3.5 goals, so these duels rarely turned into goal fests. What is consistent is that Espanyol have scored in all five encounters, a run of five games, and Alaves have conceded in all five. That doesn’t guarantee anything for the next game, but it does suggest that Alaves usually allows Espanyol at least one clear opportunity. With Puado currently out for Espanyol, they may need another player to provide that punch if the game remains tight until the second half.
