Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid Prediction & Betting Tips - LaLiga

Prediction published on 30/04/2019, 19:02  by Donal Kearns | Modified on 03/05/2019 at 16:45 in LaLiga Predictions

It won’t be a particularly dramatic end to the season for either Espanyol or Atletico Madrid and there’s not a great deal at stake here. That said, Atletico can seal 2nd place and a finish above city rivals Real for the second season running with a point here. The hosts meanwhile need victory to keep their slim European hopes alive but in truth they look out of contention now. It might have been different had they not failed to convert leads into victories in each of their last 3 matches. The latest setback came on Monday night when they conceded a Stoppage Time leveller at Real Betis. Rubi can at least reflect on a 6-game unbeaten streak, so they do take reasonable overall form into this match. Atletico Madrid to their credit have made Barcelona win the title on the pitch. They could easily have handed it to them on a plate had they slipped up in any of their recent games, but Atletico have reeled off 4 straight victories since losing at Camp Nou. They now find themselves 9 points behind Barcelona but 9 points ahead of Real Madrid with only 3 games to go. Atletico have an inferior head-to-head record in both cases which is why the title has been won and why they still need a point to guarantee 2nd.

Any season where Atletico finish above Real Madrid can’t be viewed as a disaster in the red and white half of the Spanish capital. However, they have never really delivered on their potential this season after a very encouraging summer with some major acquisitions. Too many draws on the road has been one reason why they’ve struggled to live with Barca and a 41% away win ratio isn’t good enough for a side looking to compete for the title. Espanyol are capable of denting that further here. Despite a mid-season blip, they’ve been pretty strong at home throughout the campaign. Only six teams in the Spanish top flight can better their return of 1.76 points per home game. They’ve only suffered one defeat in their last seven at the RCDE Stadium which suggests they are well over their winter woes and they will see a result as a real possibility here.