RCD Espanyol – RC Celta: On the lookout for Europe

Those of Manolo Gonzalez They are being one of the surprises of the season. Without a doubt, the Catalans are one of the “fashionable” teams in Spanish football. The squad, which was already exciting at the beginning of the season, is responding wonderfully and remaining, for the moment, in the noble areas of the table. But not everything is joy in Cornellá. The last meetings have not been at all a reflection of what had been the Spanish during the rest of the year. The parakeets have not won for 6 days. His last victory was against Athletic Club and, since their defeat at home against Barça In the Catalan derby, they add 1 of 18 possible points.

The Cornellá stands on a match day. Source: Getty Images.

In any case, the setbacks of the other teams in its area of ​​the classification have allowed it to remain in sixth position despite the poor results. This match could be the perfect turning point for the locals, since the Celtic He has one point less and is seventh in the league. It can be one of those “six-point” victories where you win and your immediate rival stops. It promises to be a nice match between two teams that like to play and be protagonists but are not at their best.

The set olive It’s not good either. The celestials have lost two of the last three games they have played in the league. Furthermore, the feeling is of having left important points behind. Osasuna and, above all, Royal Societywhich gave them a 3-1 lead, playing more than half of the game with one man less. Those of Giraldez They need to win so as not to drop out of the European positions and try to achieve some stability in their results. But the visitors have an asset to hold on to. The field factor does not seem to harm them so much, since the Galicians are the third best visitor in the competition, being surpassed only by Madrid and Barça. Of the three winter signings of the Celticat the moment it has only debuted Fer Lopezbut it is likely that Matias Vecino Enjoy your first minutes as a sky blue this Saturday. The Uruguayan can occupy all the positions in the center of the field, which can give many alternatives to the double pivot, already essential, in the system of Giraldez.

Ilaix Moriba fighting for a ball in Celta’s last match. Source: Getty Images.

The top scorer of the Spanish this season is Pere Millawho has six goals in the league. A priori it is not a scandalous number of goals, but the Catalan striker contributes a lot to the blue and white team. On the part of the Celticwe could focus on Fer Lopezwho since returning home in winter has played more than eighty minutes in the two games he has played in the league, leaving the same sensations that the Galician public fell in love with last season.

Fer López with the light blue elastic. Source: Getty Images

RCD Espanyol: Dimitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Jofre, González, Edu Expósito, Terrats; Roberto and Pere Milla.

RC Celta: I. Radu; M. Alonso, C. Starfelt, J. Rodríguez; S. Carreira, M. Román, I. Moriba, J. Rueda; H. Álvarez, B. Iglesias and Fer López.