Espanyol vs Cadiz

Marbella Football Center – Sur 1 plays host to an all-Spanish pre-season friendly between Espanyol and Cadiz.

An underwhelming run of three straight La Liga draws toward the tail-end of the 2022/23 league campaign condemned Espanyol to a second relegation in four years. ‘Los Periquitos’ only managed 37 points, four less than 17th-placed Almeria, despite scoring more goals (52) than any other side to have finished in the bottom half of the table. Interestingly, Espanyol’s last six top-flight matches have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet, with five featuring 4+ goals, highlighting the potential for a ‘goal-friendly’ contest. But Javi Garcia’s men are a bit behind in their pre-season preparations, with this fixture marking their opening exhibition game, suggesting they could be off the pace.

Unlike their rivals, Cadiz survived another scary relegation fight by the skin of their teeth, finishing only two points clear of the drop zone thanks to back-to-back unbeaten games on the last two matchdays (W1, D1). Encouraged by another successful attempt to secure La Liga survival, Sergio Gonzalez’s men have thrived in their early pre-season, beating the likes of Berbate and Chiclana by an aggregate score of 14-1. Though both those teams cannot come anywhere near Espanyol’s level, it’s worth noting Cadiz scored 2+ goals on either side of halftime in each victory. That might inspire their bid to end a five-game winless run against the Barcelona-based outfit (D3, L2) and post their first H2H triumph since 2020.