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

Espanyol and Getafe will do battle on Saturday with three crucial points on the line in the race to climb away from the bottom end of the La Liga table.

Having failed to win any of their last seven league games, the hosts now sit just two points and one spot better off than their 15th-placed opponents.

Match preview

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Following their promotion back to the top flight, Espanyol enjoyed a relatively strong first half to the season, establishing themselves in the hunt for spots in the top half.

However, the form of the Catalan outfit has since taken a notable dip, as they have now failed to pick up a league victory since the turn of the year.

In their seven La Liga outings since the beginning of January, Vicente Moreno's side have added just three points to their tally, and, following creditable draws with Barcelona and Sevilla in that run, they were handed a heavy defeat by Villarreal last weekend.

The Periquitos made the long trip south, and they were the victims of a 5-1 drubbing as Yeremi Pino hit four goals for the hosts, with Keidi Bare's second-half finish nothing more than a consolation.

As a result of their dramatic dip, Moreno's side have quickly dropped to 14th spot, and, with their lead over the relegation zone cut to eight points, they will be keen to correct their form to ensure they are not dragged into the bottom three towards the end of the campaign.

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Getafe also arrive looking for an important win to increase their cushion, having now failed to win any of their last three outings.

After a poor start to the season, The Azulones looked to have moved away from the threat of the drop with an eye-catching run of form around the turn of the year, earning 13 points from a span of six games including a 1-0 win over league leaders Real Madrid.

However, that run has since been halted, as Quique Sanchez Flores's side were firstly unlucky in a 4-3 defeat to champions Atletico Madrid with Mario Hermoso netting the decisive goal in the dying embers.

Having now played out back-to-back draws with fellow strugglers Cadiz and Alaves, the Azulones sit just six points above the drop zone with 12 games to go, and they will hope to increase that gap and leapfrog their opponents with a victory.

Team News

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Espanyol will likely remain without Manu Morlanes and David Lopez, as the duo are confined to the treatment room.

However, former Barcelona man Aleix Vidal will return to contention after he served a suspension last time out.

Key forward Raul de Tomas has netted six goals in his last nine La Liga appearances, and he will continue to lead the line for the Periquitos.

Sabit Abdulai remains sidelined for Getafe, although creative midfielder Carles Alena did recently return from his injury.

They will also be missing defender Jorge Cuenca, who is suspended after he was sent off in their draw with Alaves last time out.

Enes Unal netted two goals in that game to ensure they earned a point in a 2-2 draw, taking his tally to 13 league goals for the season, and the Turkey international will again lead the line with plenty of confidence as a result, while Roma loanee Borja Mayoral will also be vying for a starting berth in the front line.

Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Vidal, Gomez, Cabrera, Pedrosa; Bare; Puado, Herrera, Darder, Vilhena; De Tomas

Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Djene, Mitrovic, Iglesias; Suarez, Alena, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Olivera; Unal, Mayoral

We say: Espanyol 1-1 Getafe

Both teams come into the game in concerning form and will be desperate for a win, and we see them cancelling one another out.

With each boasting a prolific striker, they have the ability to hurt the other side, and we ultimately predict a share of the spoils in Catalonia.

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