- Malaga are winless in 3 home league matches this season (D2, L1).
- Espanyol have won 1, drawn 0 and lost 2 of their 3 away LaLiga 2026/2027 matches.
- Malaga have scored an average of 0.67 goals per home league game this season, while Espanyol average 1.33 on the road.
Malaga are struggling in LaLiga 2026/2027
Malaga CF have a record of 0 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats from their last 5 matches in all competitions, with a 1-3 home loss to Villarreal and a 1-0 defeat at Getafe their last two outings. This has left Juan Funes' men sitting 20th in LaLiga 2026/2027 with only 3 points from 7 games and the bottom-half pressure is beginning to bite already.
Funes has overseen a fast, wide 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system since taking charge on 19 November 2025, but the Malaguistas have been without a win at Estadio La Rosaleda this term. While the hosts have pressed well in many of their games this campaign, their high-tempo, wide nature will allow Espanyol to protect the center, which will make this a chess match rather than a shootout.
Adrian Nino has scored one goal in three LaLiga 2026/2027 games to top the Malaga scoring charts, so the hosts will need to find their cutting edge in attack. Juan Cruz has been a good provider though, supplying one assist in seven LaLiga 2026/2027 games and bringing the little bit of craft that his teammates need between the lines.
Espanyol are not in good form themselves
RCD Espanyol haven't been much better than Malaga this term with one win, one draw and three defeats from their last 5 in all competitions. A 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo was followed by a 1-3 home loss to Villarreal and a 0-1 defeat at Getafe. Manolo Gonzalez' side have moved to 15th in the LaLiga 2026/2027 table with just 7 points from 7 matches, so they arrive with a little bit of a cushion but no real comfort.
Roberto Fernandez is their main man this campaign with six goals in seven and four of Espanyol's last five goals in red-hot form. Javi Hernandez has also been in good supply with four assists in the same number of games, making him the chief chance-creator in the Pericos' attack.
The Pericos have won one, drawn zero and lost two of their three LaLiga 2026/2027 away matches this time, so while they are certainly capable of getting the better of Malaga, they are more likely to eke out the win than make a statement.
A close game is expected
The odds for this one look as tight as the game will likely be with both sides available at 2.62, while the draw is 3.25. Malaga have just 3 points from 7 games and La Rosaleda has not yet become a fortress for Funes' team, so I'm avoiding the draw and leaning towards Espanyol.
The more patient, structure-first approach of Gonzalez should keep this game close, but if Malaga's aggressive pressing and high-tempo play can't keep up the pace for the entire 90 minutes, Espanyol will pick them off on the counterattack.
Malaga are averaging just 0.67 goals per game at home this season, and they need a goal to kickstart this match, so under 2.5 goals at 1.8 looks a good fit for the shape of the game, while both teams to score at 1.75 is the livelier alternative.
