Match Information
Match Overview
Espanyol host Deportivo La Coruna at RCDE Stadium on November 7 in Regular Season - Round 12 of La Liga, a mid-season fixture that pairs a side sitting 14th with a visitor in 8th. That six-place gap frames the afternoon: Espanyol are looking to climb away from the lower-middle reaches of the table, while Deportivo La Coruna have an opportunity to consolidate a position in the upper half.
The most telling factor is the contrast in recent league momentum. Espanyol arrive having won 1-0 away at Villarreal on October 30, a result that interrupted a run of three league matches without a win, which included a 2-1 defeat at Racing Santander on October 24, a 1-0 home loss to Atletico Madrid on October 17 and a 1-1 draw at Malaga on October 9. Deportivo La Coruna, meanwhile, beat Osasuna 2-1 at home on November 2 after dropping a 1-0 decision at Atletico Madrid on October 24. Both sides have therefore faced Atletico Madrid within the same stretch, with each losing by a single goal.
Schedule load is a secondary consideration. Both clubs played Copa del Rey Round of 128 fixtures in the last two weeks of October: Espanyol lost 4-3 away to Sestao River on October 27, while Deportivo La Coruna won 3-0 away at Auriense on October 29. Espanyol's cup tie came three days before their Villarreal victory, and Deportivo's came four days before the Osasuna match, so both squads have shown they can handle compressed turnarounds.
Neither side has reported any unavailable players, meaning both managers, Eder Sarabia for Espanyol and Antonio Hidalgo for Deportivo La Coruna, can select from full squads. That should make the lineup decisions about form and tactical fit rather than necessity.
Deportivo La Coruna's 4-4-2 and Espanyol's 4-2-3-1 from their last outings point to a contest between a compact two-striker structure and a team built around a more fluid attacking line.
Predicted Lineups
Espanyol
Fortuño; El Hilali, Drkušić, Cabrera, Hinojo; Bauzà, Expósito; Santiago Vargas, Hernandez, Zaragoza; Roberto Fernández
Deportivo La Coruna
Román; Alti, Loureiro, Giménez, Quagliata; Mella, Amatucci, Soriano, Peke; Luismi Cruz, Nsongo
Team Form Analysis
Espanyol
League Position: 14Espanyol Form Analysis
Espanyol's last five matches across all competitions return one win, one draw and three defeats, though the most recent result is a positive one: a 1-0 victory at Villarreal on October 30 in La Liga Round 11. That win followed a 4-3 Copa del Rey defeat at Sestao River on October 27 and back-to-back league losses, 2-1 at Racing Santander on October 24 and 0-1 at home to Atletico Madrid on October 17.
In attack, Espanyol scored in four of their five outings, but the output has been uneven in the league. They managed one goal each against Racing Santander and Malaga and none against Atletico Madrid, with the Villarreal win coming through a single goal. Defensively, they conceded in four of the five matches, the exception being the clean sheet at Villarreal, and the cup tie at Sestao River saw four goals shipped.
The quality of opposition varies. Atletico Madrid and Villarreal represent tougher assignments, while Malaga and Racing Santander are more comparable to Espanyol's own level. Four of the five matches were played away from home, so the sole home fixture in this window, the Atletico Madrid defeat, offers limited evidence of their form at RCDE Stadium.
Deportivo La Coruna
League Position: 8Deportivo La Coruna Form Analysis
Deportivo La Coruna have won their last two matches in all competitions, beating Osasun 2-1 at home on November 2 in La Liga and winning 3-0 at Auriense on October 29 in the Copa del Rey Round of 128. Across their last five games they have two wins, one draw and two defeats.
The league run is more mixed. A 1-0 loss at Atletico Madrid on October 24 was followed by the Osasuna victory, and before that came a 1-1 home draw with Levante on October 16 and a 3-2 defeat at Real Sociedad on October 11. That Real Sociedad match was the highest-scoring of the group, with Deportivo scoring twice but conceding three.
Attacking output has been steady: Deportivo scored in four of their five matches, with the exception being the Atletico Madrid game, and netted three against Auriense. Defensively, they kept one clean sheet, against Auriense, while conceding at least once in the other four. Three of the five fixtures were away from home, and the opposition included Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad, two demanding tests, which adds context to their position of 8th in the table.
Head-to-Head
Espanyol
Deportivo La Coruna
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-23 | Deportivo La Coruna | 0 - 0 | Espanyol |
| 2017-09-24 | Espanyol | 4 - 1 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| 2017-05-07 | Deportivo La Coruna | 1 - 2 | Espanyol |
| 2017-01-06 | Espanyol | 1 - 1 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| 2016-02-20 | Espanyol | 1 - 0 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| 2015-09-27 | Deportivo La Coruna | 3 - 0 | Espanyol |
| 2015-03-22 | Deportivo La Coruna | 0 - 0 | Espanyol |
| 2014-10-26 | Espanyol | 0 - 0 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| 2013-05-19 | Deportivo La Coruna | 2 - 0 | Espanyol |
| 2012-12-20 | Espanyol | 2 - 0 | Deportivo La Coruna |
Memorable Matches
The most recent meetings between these clubs in the available record date back to the 2017-18 season, with the last encounter ending 0-0 at Deportivo La Coruna on February 23, 2018. Among the more eye-catching results in the sequence is Espanyol's 4-1 home win on September 24, 2017, the heaviest defeat Deportivo suffered in the listed meetings.
Another notable result came on September 27, 2015, when Deportivo La Coruna won 3-0 over Espanyol at home, the biggest margin in Deportivo's favour in the records provided. Goalless draws have also been a recurring theme, appearing on February 23, 2018, March 22, 2015 and October 26, 2014. Overall, the listed meetings show Espanyol with four wins, Deportivo with two and four draws, indicating a closely contested f
Injury Concerns
Espanyol
Deportivo La Coruna
