Pressure on Manolo González as Espanyol visit winless Málaga
Espanyol travel to La Rosaleda to face Málaga on Friday, 9 October 2026, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST to open La Liga matchday eight. Juanfran Funes‘ side are bottom with three points and still looking for a first win, while Espanyol are 15th after back-to-back defeats to Rayo Vallecano and Elche. Sporting director Monchi kept Manolo González in charge through the international break, but Spanish media have reported that Espanyol sounded out replacements, so this trip carries real weight for the visiting manager.
Málaga have scored three goals in seven league games and failed to score in four of them.
Predicted lineups: Málaga vs Espanyol
Funes is expected to stick with a set-up very similar to the opening weeks. Under-21 internationals Chupe and Rafita are back, Fernando Calero has stepped up his training load and Juan Cruz has returned to full training, but Jens Cajuste, Diego Murillo, Aarón Ochoa and Julen Lobete remain out. Jorge Salinas cannot play because of a clause in his loan from Espanyol. For the visitors, Kike García is the only confirmed absentee, Javi Puado is back in the squad after a serious knee injury in January, and Omar El Hilali returns from suspension. González is expected to go back to a 4-3-3 shape with two holding midfielders and Edu Expósito further forward.
Málaga Team News & Preview
Málaga’s problem is not only results but the lack of a cutting edge. They have created four big chances in seven league games and averaged 0.84 xG, and their three goals have come from three different players: Chupe, Carlos Dotor and Adrián Niño. At La Rosaleda the picture is slightly better in terms of territory, with 1.95 xG against Deportivo and 1.59 against Levante, but those games ended 1-1 and 0-0 with only two and three shots on target. The one home game that opened up was the 3-1 defeat to Villarreal, a much stronger side that created seven big chances.
The last outing before the break, a 1-0 defeat at Getafe decided by Iván Azón’s 85th-minute goal, summed up Málaga’s season so far: competitive for long spells, but with 0.52 xG and almost no threat in the box. Dotor is their best-rated player by FotMob (7.02), and Juan Cruz’s return to full training gives Funes another attacking option from the bench.
What works for or against Málaga
- Three goals in seven league games and four blanks, including against Levante and Getafe.
- Home games against Deportivo and Levante produced only one goal conceded in total.
- Cajuste, Murillo, Ochoa and Lobete are all unavailable, and Salinas cannot face his parent club.
- Chupe and Rafita return from Spain Under-21 duty, and Juan Cruz is back in full training.
Espanyol Team News & Preview
Espanyol have taken nothing from their last two games. They lost 2-1 at Rayo, where El Hilali was sent off late on, and were then beaten 3-1 at home by Elche despite Federico Redondo being dismissed for the visitors after six minutes. According to local reports, the captains backed González in talks with the sporting directorate, and the manager used the three-week break to work on a more compact shape. A cautious approach would make sense: a defeat at the bottom side would make his position very difficult.
Roberto Fernández has carried the attack with six of Espanyol’s ten league goals and the squad’s best FotMob rating (7.37). He returns to La Rosaleda, where he became a promotion hero, and his finishing is the main reason Espanyol’s numbers look better than their xG: 1.24 per game. Away from home they have scored once at Real Sociedad, twice at Osasuna and once at Rayo.
What works for or against Espanyol
- Roberto Fernández has six league goals, including a brace in the 2-0 win at Osasuna.
- Back-to-back defeats, including a 3-1 home loss to ten-man Elche.
- González is expected to switch to a more compact 4-3-3 with two holding midfielders.
- Kike García is out, leaving little proven goal threat behind Roberto Fernández.
Málaga vs Espanyol Odds
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Malaga vs. Espanyol Stats Comparison
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Malaga vs. Espanyol Form Guide
Malaga Form, Stats & Data
The defensive numbers are inflated by trips to Atlético and Real Madrid and the home defeat to Villarreal: against sides closer to their own level, Málaga have conceded only three times in four games. The attacking numbers are the real concern. 0.43 goals per game is a relegation-level return, and 0.84 xG suggests the problem is chance creation rather than bad luck in front of goal.
Espanyol Form, Stats & Data
Espanyol are slightly outperforming their 1.24 xG thanks almost entirely to Roberto Fernández. Defensively, 1.39 xGA is mid-table rather than alarming, and away from home they have allowed 1.05 xG at Osasuna but 1.94 at Real Sociedad. The question is how much González changes: a more compact 4-3-3 with two holding midfielders should reduce the space Espanyol have conceded recently, but also lowers their own output.
Málaga vs Espanyol: Prediction & Betting Tip
I see this as a tense, low-margin game rather than an open one. Málaga have scored three league goals all season, have created only four big chances, and five of their seven league matches have stayed under 2.5 goals. Espanyol, meanwhile, arrive with a manager whose job depends on not losing and who has spent the break working on a tighter shape.
The biggest risk is Espanyol’s recent games. Their last three away league matches all produced at least two goals, they shipped three at home to ten-man Elche, and Roberto Fernández is in form against his former club. A single early goal could also force Málaga to open up. I still think the combination of Málaga’s blunt attack and Espanyol’s more cautious set-up makes a third goal unlikely.
I am backing Under 2.5 Goals at 1.76 with Winz, and I have it finishing 1-1.