Malaga vs Espanyol — Tips & Analysis

Under 2.5: La Rosaleda has turned into a place where games go nowhere. Malaga have tied five of their seven home games there, scoring under a goal a game and letting in one. That is the core of the case for a low-scoring night. Malaga are bottom of La Liga on three points from seven games with a goal difference of -9, and their last five games brought no wins. Only 5 of their last 15 games have had 3 or more goals. They are stretched thin too, with six players out including defenders Murillo and Ochoa and midfielders Diarra and Cajuste. Espanyol are not much better going forward. They have won 4, tied 3 and lost 7 of their last 14 games. They score just over a goal a game, and their games have averaged just over 2 goals in total. The last 19 meetings between these clubs average 2.3 goals, which tells the same story. We read this as a 1-1, two sides who cannot find a second goal, and that leaves us comfortable. The warning is Espanyol's spread, because 7 of their last 14 games still finished with 3 or more goals. A thin Malaga back line could get picked apart by the slightly better side. We still expect a nervy game with few goals in it.