Villarreal vs Espanyol – prediction, team news, lineups

Villarreal host Espanyol at Estadio de la Ceramica on Friday seeking a third consecutive victory across all competitions. Inigo Perez's side sit 10th in La Liga with 12 points from 10 matches, having recently followed a 2-1 league win over Valencia with a 5-0 Copa del Rey triumph against Manacor. Villarreal hold a strong head-to-head record, having won their last seven matches against Espanyol.

Espanyol enter the fixture in 18th place having dismissed head coach Manolo Gonzalez following a 4-3 Copa del Rey defeat to fourth-tier Sestao. The visitors are without injured players Kike Garcia and Jofre, while Villarreal will miss the suspended Pape Gueye alongside injured duo Carlos Romero and Nathan Saliba.