Espanyol take on the visitors Alaves in the round 22 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Friday, January 30th at RCDE Stadium (Cornella de Llobregat).
Espanyol are not without serious ambitions — they understand that matching their neighbors Barcelona is unrealistic, but they still want to fight for something meaningful. In reality, in recent years they more often found themselves relegated to the Segunda. That is where Manolo González took over as head coach. First, he managed to bring the team back to La Liga and keep them there, although promotion came only through the playoffs, and last spring they finished just a couple of points ahead of relegated Leganés. However, the progress continued, and now Espanyol are among increasingly realistic contenders for European qualification. Still, 2026 started poorly with a defeat to Barcelona, followed only by a draw against Levante. Then came further setbacks, as they lost consecutively to relegation fighters Girona and Valencia. Even so, their overall season remains clearly stronger than in previous years. Despite the recent dip, Espanyol still look competitive and capable of bouncing back quickly, especially at home.
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Alavés will not pleasantly surprise this season, but will try not to disappoint. The Babazorros are a fairly modest project, even by Spanish standards. After returning to La Liga, they do not aim for anything more than simply staying there. At the same time, they have already built a reputation for collecting enough points to remain in the top flight. Last season they earned 42 points — the same as their current opponents — and finished fourteenth only on tiebreakers. This campaign they are operating at roughly the same level, staying close to but still above the relegation zone, while also remaining in the cup race, having knocked out Rayo Vallecano back in January. After that, they rather predictably lost 0–1 to Atlético. However, they then managed to beat Betis 2–1 at home, a regular European contender. Recent results suggest that Alavés remain a difficult opponent for anyone. They may lack consistency, but their ability to pick up points in key matches keeps them competitive.
Last season, the Parakeets won both meetings. However, in November they lost 1–2 in Vitoria. The Catalans will certainly want to return to winning ways. But their slump seems to be dragging on, so a bet on the visitors to avoid defeat looks justified.
Prediction for the match: Alaves not to lose (X2).
