Will RSSS prevail at the draw king?
This week’s Monday match in the Spanish LaLiga is a duel of opposites, because on the one side is a team that is shaking for the league survival. The visitors, on the other hand, have the best chances of qualifying for the top flight.
Accordingly, the basic conditions should be quite clear, yet betting odds of well over 2.00 are offered on the Basque guests in the duel between Espanyol Barcelona and Real Sociedad. Justified? Or are the bookmakers completely wrong in their odds? This is the question we will be addressing in the coming lines.
The relegation battle in Spain promises to be extremely exciting this season anyway, with teams in eleventh to 19th place separated by just a few points. Espanyol Barcelona experienced just how quickly it can happen this weekend. At one point, the team was in a relegation spot, but then benefited from the Valencia defeat.
A win would give the Catalans some breathing space, but Martinez’s team is considered the draw king, with no fewer than nine of their 20 games ending in draws. On Monday, Espanyol Barcelona vs Real Sociedad offers odds of up to 3.60 for this prediction.
The visitors from the Basque Country, on the other hand, are firmly in third place in the table, regardless of the outcome of the match. After two games without a goal of their own, the Alguacil eleven will now be looking to get back on the winning track. The match kicks off at the RCDE Stadium on Monday evening at 9pm.
Espanyol Barcelona – Statistics & current form
The signing of Diego Martinez for the new season has been hailed as a major coup, after all he was regarded as one of Spain’s most talented young coaches during his time at Granada. After finishing 14th in the promotion year, he is now supposed to lead the club further towards the midfield of the league.
A goal that has not yet been achieved. After 20 games, the club has just 21 points, five points less than at the same point in the previous season. Since 2010/11, Espanyol have only once been worse off than they are currently – in the relegation year 2019/20.
Espanyol are struggling with a lot of points shared
There was actually a time when winning only added two points to the table. As an Espanyol fan, you’d probably wish for that arrangement back, because then the situation wouldn’t be quite so precarious. In the meantime, a lot of point-splits ensure that a team is treading water. This is the Catalans’ big problem, as only seven defeats from 20 games is the best figure since 2016/17. However, there have already been nine draws, no other team in Spain drew more often. Espanyol Barcelona have only lost three times since matchday seven, but they have also only won three.
So, despite the current situation in the table, Espanyol is not an opponent that can be regarded as a “compulsory task” for the competition, but an unpleasant team that rarely loses. Four of their seven defeats this season were by only one goal difference, the remaining three defeats by two goals. Martinez’s team is by no means an easy opponent, which is definitely a reason why odds of up to 2.30 are being offered for betting on Espanyol Barcelona against Real Sociedad on Monday.
However, it must also be mentioned that Diego Martinez has to cope with a serious absence. Top striker Joselu (former Germany legionnaire) will not be available until the beginning of March. He is the most dangerous player in the offensive game, with eleven goals to his credit. Martin Braithwaite is the second best scorer with five goals. The Joselu absence suggests a game with few goals.
Last matches played by Espanyol Barcelona:
La Liga
04/02/2023 – Espanyol 1 – 1 Osasuna Pamplona
28/01/2023 – Almeria 3 – 1 Espanyol
21/01/2023 – Espanyol 1 – 0 Real Betis
Copa del Rey
19/01/2023 – Athletic Bilbao 1 – 0 Espanyol
La Liga
15/01/2023 – Getafe 1 – 2 Espanyol
Real Sociedad – Statistics & current form
Behind the two big title contenders FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, it is not Diego Simeone’s Rojiblancos who are the first chasers this season, but the team from the Basque country. Real Sociedad de San Sebastian’s convincing development from the last few years continues to progress and a return to the UEFA Champions League is extremely likely given what they have learned so far this season.
The Blue and Whites are an extremely strong team, where it is not the one or other superstar that stands out, but the collective that is the great strength. This becomes clear when looking at the list of absentees below, as Imanol Aguacil currently has to do without a large number of important players. New signing Umar Sadiq (came as Isak’s replacement) has been missing for months anyway, but the absences of Mikel Merino, David Silva or Aritz Elustundo also hurt. Nevertheless, the team can consistently bring in strong results.
22 points in ten away games
The available squad depth gives Aguacil plenty of options to field a powerful side on Monday night as well. After five straight wins (four of them without conceding a goal), they held Real Madrid to a goalless draw before suffering one of their few disappointments this season in a 1-0 loss to Real Valladolid last weekend.
RSSS went two games without conceding a goal, but there can be no talk of a crisis. Moreover, the role as guest on Monday evening is definitely not a disadvantage. A look at the away statistics this season shows seven wins in ten games (one draw, two defeats).
With only eight goals conceded, Alex Remiro has not even had to concede one goal per game on average. If you are considering betting on the visitors between Espanyol Barcelona and Real Sociedad, you may want to consider the addition “to nil”. In this case, the odds offered are already at 3.40. Due to the absence of Joselu on the side of the home side, there is certainly value available here.
Last matches of Real Sociedad:
La Liga
06/02/2023 – Real Sociedad 0 – 1 Real Valladolid
30/01/2023 – Real Madrid 0 – 0 Real Sociedad
Copa del Rey
26/01/2023 – FC Barcelona 1 – 0 Real Sociedad
La Liga
21/01/2023 – Rayo Vallecano 0 – 2 Real Sociedad
Copa del Rey
18/01/2023 – Real Sociedad 1 – 0 Mallorca
Espanyol Barcelona – Real Sociedad Direct comparison / H2H-balance
The relegation candidates from Barcelona are encouraged by the direct comparison thanks to their strong home record. On Monday evening, the Basques host Espanyol for the 72nd time in the Spanish top flight, and so far the Catalans have won 36 of their 71 home games.
Nevertheless, the direct comparison in the recent past between Espanyol Barcelona and Real Sociedad underlines the lower odds on the Basques, as RSSS won four of the last five meetings. In the first leg of the current campaign, Real Sociedad won 2-1 at home.
Espanyol Barcelona – Real Sociedad Tip
The reasons why odds of over 2.00 are offered on the away win between Espanyol Barcelona and Real Sociedad are that the home side have a huge draw frequency and that the visitors have failed to score in their last two league games. However, this is still a duel between a relegation candidate and a CL aspirant.
The difference in quality in the line-up of both teams cannot be denied. RSSS will also have to do without some important players, but the absence of Joselu on the side of the home side weighs much more heavily, as this cannot be compensated for. The absence of the top scorer removes any doubts for the hosts and a stake of five units is recommended between Espanyol Barcelona and Real Sociedad when betting on the visitors. The win to nil also offers value for a low stakes bet
