2–1 Full time Saturday 24 October

Our pick1–2Missed

Racing Santander vs Espanyol: Eleven Goals Apart, One Place Between Them

Racing Santander and Espanyol sit level on eight points and one place apart, so a win at El Sardinero on Saturday could be the first real step out of the bottom three. Both sides have been far from convincing this season.

📍 El Sardinero

All Matchday 10 matches

Match report

Racing Santander beat Espanyol 2-1 in round 10 of La Liga. Espanyol took the lead in the 62nd minute, when Eduardo Expósito Jaén scored, assisted by Francisco Javier Hernandez Coarasa. Racing Santander replied in the 69th minute through Jeanuël Belocian, assisted by Sergio Canales, and went ahead in the 84th minute when Yassir Zabiri scored, assisted by Alvaro Mantilla. No red cards were shown.

Racing had 55% of the possession and took 23 shots to Espanyol's 11, although only 9 of them were on target compared with 1 for the visitors. Racing's expected goals total was 2.5 against 0.62 for Espanyol, and the home side won the corner count 9 to 4. Espanyol's goalkeeper made 7 saves. Edu Expósito was the top-rated player with a rating of 8.2. The result differed from the pre-match model, which predicted a 1-2 scoreline and gave Espanyol a 38% chance of winning, Racing Santander 37% and a draw 25%.

Goals

62'Eduardo Expósito Jaén · Francisco Javier Hernandez Coarasa · Espanyol
69'Jeanuël Belocian · Sergio Canales · Racing Santander
84'Yassir Zabiri · Alvaro Mantilla · Racing Santander

Cards

8'Iñigo Vicente · Racing Santander
17'Pol Lozano · Espanyol
43'José Manuel González Álvarez · Espanyol
67'Pablo Ramon Parra · Racing Santander
70'Urko Gonzalez · Espanyol
89'Javi Puado · Espanyol
90'Eduardo Expósito Jaén · Espanyol
90+7'Jorge Salinas Viadero · Racing Santander

Match stats

Racing SantanderEspanyol

55%Possession45%

23Shots11

9Shots on target1

2.50Expected goals (xG)0.62

9Corners4

10Fouls17

1Offsides4

0Saves7

⭐ Top-rated player: Edu Expósito (Espanyol) 8.2

Ratings and statistics: API-Football.

Confirmed lineups

Racing Santander · 4-2-3-1

13Julen AgirrezabalaG
2Álvaro MantillaD
5Pablo RamónD
24J. BelocianD
17Jorge SalinasD
18M. PratiM
23Iván MartínM
11Andrés MartínM
20Sergio CanalesM
10Iñigo VicenteM
21M. ZabiriF

Coach: José Alberto López

Espanyol · 4-4-2

1Ángel FortuñoG
23O. El HilaliD
16V. DrkušićD
6L. CabreraD
3Q. HartmanD
28Javier HernandezM
8Edu ExpósitoM
10Pol LozanoM
15Bryan ZaragozaM
9Roberto FernándezF
22Álex CalatravaF

Coach: Manolo González

Match facts

Recent form

Racing SantanderWLLDL

EspanyolWLLDL

Last 5 league games, latest on the right

Goals per game

·	Scored	Conceded
Racing Santander	1.4	2.8
Espanyol	1.2	1.3

League position

Pos	Team	P	GD	Pts
16	Espanyol	9	-1	8
17	Racing Santander	9	-12	8

Last meetings

2024Racing Santander2-0Espanyol
2023Espanyol2-0Racing Santander
2012Espanyol3-1Racing Santander
2011Racing Santander0-1Espanyol
2011Espanyol1-2Racing Santander

Absences

Racing Santander

DoubtfulS. Eriksson · Shoulder Injury

Espanyol

OutK. Garcia · Hamstring Injury
DoubtfulJofre · Groin Injury

PreviaXI model

Racing Santander37%Draw25%Espanyol38%

Predicted score: 1-2
Expected goals (model): 1.61 – 1.63
Double chance: 12 · 75%1X 62% · X2 63%
Over 2.5 goals: 63%
Both teams score: 65%
Expected corners: 11.15.5 – 5.6 · Over 9.5: 65%
Expected cards: 5.62.6 – 3.0 · Over 3.5: 80%

Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →

A whisker between two struggling sides

Eight points each, one place apart, and separated by little more than goal difference: Racing Santander and Espanyol meet at El Sardinero on Saturday with a clear chance for either side to edge ahead.

After nine matches, 17th-placed Racing and 16th-placed Espanyol have the same points tally. The difference lies in the goals. Espanyol’s goal difference is -1, while Racing’s stands at -12. In a league of 20, that is the gap between two teams who are still searching for consistency.

Home comfort, away misery

Racing’s season has been defined by location. At El Sardinero they have two wins, two draws and no defeats from four matches, scoring 9 goals and conceding 7. Away from home they have lost all five games, conceding 18 times. Their last five league matches have brought six goals scored and 17 conceded.

Espanyol have been similarly inconsistent. They have one win, one draw and two defeats on the road, and one win, one draw and three defeats at home. Their last five matches have produced five goals scored and seven conceded. Both clubs arrive with the same recent sequence in the standings: lose, draw, lose, lose, win.

Head-to-head

Espanyol have the edge over the years, winning three of the last five meetings. The two most recent encounters were both 2-0 victories, one for each side: Espanyol at home in August 2023, and Racing at home in February 2024.

Team news

Racing will be without a fully clear bill of health, with S. Eriksson a doubt because of a shoulder problem. Espanyol face a bigger test: K. Garcia is out with a hamstring injury, and Jofre is a doubt after a groin problem.

Our prediction

PreviaXI’s model gives Espanyol a marginal edge, and the balance of the numbers points to a tight, open contest. Racing’s home record suggests they can hurt anyone at El Sardinero, but Espanyol’s travelling side has been the more reliable of the two away from their own ground. Expect both teams to find the net in a game where the visitors take the points.

Racing Santander 1-2 Espanyol

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