Espanyol did win on away goals in a two-legged 2018/19 Copa del Rey tie, and a repeat of the home result then (1-0) would see them string together three consecutive home La Liga victories, having gone into the international break after a shock 2-1 victory over Real Madrid here.
Espanyol
Two early-season strugglers in La Liga will be duelling to be the first to ten points as Espanyol and Cadiz meet in a league setting for the first time in nearly 16 years. Espanyol did win on away goals in a two-legged 2018/19 Copa del Rey tie, and a repeat of the home result then (1-0) would see them string together three consecutive home La Liga victories, having gone into the international break after a shock 2-1 victory over Real Madrid here. They blew a lead to Atlético Madrid before that two-game home winning run. Still, both victories here following saw Espanyol convert the opening goal into victory, having failed to do so on any other occasion at home or away this La Liga season.
Having recently experienced the sorrows of relegation with Mallorca in 2019/20, manager Vicente Moreno will be desperate to ensure Espanyol stay well away from the bottom quarter of the standings.
Cadiz
Cadiz’s honeymoon period in the top flight expired long ago, and the Andalusian club have enjoyed just one victory from their first eight league games for just the second time this century in any division. As one of four clubs to have earned the bulk of their La Liga points away from home across the first eight rounds, this game could be an opportunity to spark a recovery. Their defending continues to be key to their fortunes. Cadiz conceded more goals than every sidebar Granada in the 2020/21 La Liga but have earned points on all five occasions when conceding one or no goals this season, whilst losing the three games where they conceded more.
Last round, Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas became the third man of the season to open the scoring in three La Liga fixtures, while Anthony Lozano is the last Cadiz player to do so at all (vs Celta Vigo). The pre-match favourite has won just 38% of matches involving either club this campaign.