Bitesize Prediction: Espanyol vs Valladolid – 05/12/23

Competition: Copa del Rey

Market: Over 1.5 goals

Odds: 2/5 @ BetUS

Two Segunda outfits that will turn their attention back to Copa del Rey duties on Tuesday night, Espanyol will welcome Valladolid to the Stage Front Stadium.

Starting with the hosts, while Espanyol might have thought that they had turned a real corner since returning from November’s international break, Luis Miguel Ramis saw his squad come crashing back down to earth over the weekend. Eventually putting in a toothless performance as they slumped to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Real Oviedo, the Parakeets will be desperate to claim an immediate response here. However, heading into the fortnight interval with a 1-1 stalemate away at Huesca, the former Real Madrid coach has seen his squad win just a trio of their previous 10 appearances across all formats. Nevertheless, extending on their Copa del Rey adventure thanks to a 2-0 win away at lower-league Mensajero on October 31st, Espanyol will be excited to make a return to home soil. Last seen at the Stage Front Stadium landing a 2-0 victory against Alcorcon, it should be noted that Ramis’ men have suffered just a single loss from any of their first nine home fixtures.

As for the visitors, although Valladolid might still be tipped as a leading contender to make an immediate La Liga return this season, the Pucelle find themselves in an almost identical position to Tuesday’s opponents. Watching their stellar purple patch come to an abrupt end over the weekend thanks to a 2-1 loss against Levante, that was the first domestic defeat that Paulo Pezzolano’s side have suffered since the end of October. Marking their return from November’s international break with a gritty 1-0 win away at Huesca, the former Cruzeiro boss will be desperate for his squad to spring a Copa del Rey upset in midweek. However, hit with a 2-0 loss when they last travelled to the Stage Front Stadium for a Segunda showdown back on October 14th, Valladolid should be bracing themselves for a stern examination here. It should be highlighted, with seven of the previous eight meetings between Tuesday’s opponents finishing with over 1.5 goals, we are expecting a similar outcome.

Bet: Over 1.5 goals at Espanyol vs Valladolid 2/5 for Tuesday’s Copa del Rey showdown @ BetUS