Espanyol welcome Levante to the RCDE Stadium on Sunday evening as both sides look to make a positive start to the new La Liga campaign.
The hosts finished 11th last season, five places and four points above Levante, and will be confident of making home advantage count in this fixture.
Levante survived by the narrowest of margins last season, finishing 16th and only avoiding relegation thanks to their head-to-head record. Their problems were particularly apparent away from home, recording just four victories on their travels.
Levante have lost star striker Carlos Espi to Real Madrid this summer, and replacing his goals will be a difficult task.
The hosts should have enough quality to claim all three points on the opening weekend of the La Liga season.
Espanyol v Levante Tips Summary
Best Bet - Espanyol to win @ 21/20
Alternative Bet - Roberto Fernandez to score or assist @ 6/5
Bet Builder - Under 3 goals, Levante under 1 goals & Pol Lozano to be booked @ 17/2
Espanyol v Levante Prediction
Best Bet: Espanyol to win @ 21/20
Espanyol are worth backing to begin the season with three points at the RCDE Stadium, with home advantage and Levante's poor record on their travels both pointing towards the hosts.
Levante managed just four away wins throughout the whole of last season, while they survived by only their head-to-head record after finishing 16th in La Liga.
Their attack also faces a significant challenge following Carlos Espí's departure to Real Madrid after he scored 11 league goals last term.
Espanyol finished 11th and four points above their opponents and go into this season with a stronger squad than they finished last.
Both matches last season ended in draws, but Espanyol's stronger overall quality and home advantage make them the more appealing side to back.
Alternative Bet: Roberto Fernandez to score or assist @ 6/5
Roberto Fernandez can provide Espanyol with an attacking focal point in the absence of experienced striker Kike García, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Fernandez finished last season with a team-high 10 goal involvements and also created 18 chances, including six big chances, highlighting his importance to Espanyol's attacking play.
The Spaniard should have plenty of opportunities in the final third against a Levante defence that conceded 61 goals last season.
That defensive record was a major factor in the visitors' difficult campaign, and losing Carlos Espí at the other end has further weakened their prospects.
With Espanyol at home and expected to have the majority of possession and territory, Fernandez looks well placed to either find the net or provide the decisive pass.
Espanyol v Levante Bet Builder Tip
- Under 3 goals
- Levante under 1 goals
- Pol Lozano to be booked
Pays 17/2
A low-scoring Espanyol victory provides the foundation for this Bet Builder, with Levante's attacking problems making the under 1 goal leg particularly appealing.
Carlos Espí scored 11 league goals for Levante last season and his departure leaves the visitors without their most clinical finisher and one they so far have failed to adequately replace.
Pol Lozano adds another interesting angle from an Espanyol perspective. He was among La Liga's top 10 most-booked players last season after collecting 10 yellow cards, while averaging 2.7 fouls per 90 minutes.
He was booked in more than 40% of his appearances and picked up three cards across his final six league games, at a rate of a card every 93 minutes in that end-of-season run.
Lozano was also sent off just two minutes after coming off the bench in the last meeting between these sides, adding further appeal to that card market.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
- Espanyol finished 11th in La Liga last season with 46 points
- Espanyol scored only 21 goals at home last season, with just two teams scoring fewer on their own patch
- Levante finished 16th last season and avoided relegation thanks to their head-to-head record
- Levante won just four of their away matches in La Liga last season
- Carlos Espí scored 11 league goals for Levante last season before completing his move to Real Madrid
- Roberto Fernandez finished last season with a team-high 10 goal involvements for Espanyol
- Both league meetings between these two last season ended in draws, 1-1 and 0-0
- Pol Lozano collected 10 yellow cards in La Liga last season and averaged 2.7 fouls per 90 minutes
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
