Preview & Betting Tip
Malaga - Espanyol In this midday Primera duel the host certainly enters in a better mood because on Wednesday has achieved the greatest success in the club’s history, placement in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Espanyol is in the new result crisis that now lasts three rounds. Malaga has even 12 points more in the standings, but both teams have so far played eight draws. In the last three rounds neither of them felt the taste of victory, and the mutual match in the first part of the season ended with a pale 0-0. The host won last four mutual matches in Malaga, where Espanyol has not won since 2005. Begins: 17.03.2013 – 12:00 CET
Malaga
Malaga is in a trance and great euphoria, because in its first anthological appearance in the Champions League, have immediately become the biggest surprise of the competition. Great parties in the group stage were already labelled as sensational success, but the placement in the semi-finals and elimination of Porto is a result that no one expected. Especially not after the lost in first game with an unpleasant score 1-0. In the championship they had played several weaker games, and were defeated with 3-0 by Betis, and against Atletico and Valladolid have drew, scoring just one goal in the three matches. It is evident that all the attention has been directed towards the Champions League, and it has paid off handsomely. Coach Pellegrini rested against Valladolid some important players, like Isco and Joaquin, and there was no Weligton, Baptiste, and Toulalan because of the showed cards. All of them have played against Porto and been great, but the brilliant midfielder Isco was ahead of them, and his price is daily getting bigger. He scored the first and assisted the second goal in 2-0 victory. Now the big question is whether Pellegrini will stir a little the team again, or the best will play, but it is certain that there will be no the midfielder Iturri because of the suspension.
Probable lineups Malaga: Caballero – Jesus Gamez, Lugano, Demichelis, Antunes – Toulalan, Camacho – Joaquin, Isco, Baptista – Saviola
Espanyol
Espanyol’s definitely in crisis again and this is confirmed by the results, because after a series of six matches without defeat in which they won five times, now have played three times in a row without a win, but also without a scored goal. The bad series started with 1-0 defeat from Atletico Madrid, despite having a player more in the entire second half but they haven’t managed to materialise the advantage. Then they utterly failed and disappointed at home against Valladolid when they played a match without a scored goal, just to have another bad day in an away game in Madrid, where they were defeated 2-0 by Rayo Vallecano. It is clear that in the forward line something doesn’t fit. Coach Aguirre tried in the last round refresh the team a little with Cristian Alfonso, while Verdu remained on the bench, but not even that was a good solution. Return of Stuani after the suspension has not helped too, so Aguirre is now in big dilemmas. He will not be able to count on Simao who was injured and on Javi Lopez because of the showed cards.
Probable lineups Espanyol: Casilla – Mattioni, Colotto, Moreno, Capdevila – Forlin, Cristian Gomez – Verdu, Stuani, Wakaso – Sergio Garcia
Malaga – Espanyol
Malaga is apparently a big favourite, but we need to be careful, because in their mind they are still in the Champions League and Espanyol is not harmless at all, if they finally begin to play as they can. It’s time to score a goal and forces the hosts to play very seriously, so we expect an efficient match.
Better's Tip: over 2.5
Stake: 4/10
