Espanyol won nine points in the entire League last season away from Cornellà. Just one victory, against Valencia on the last day of 2021, was all the blue and white team had to celebrate in a traumatic year away from home. The behavior of Diego Martínez's Espanyol has nothing to do with that of Vicente Moreno in this regard. Three wins and five draws is the balance so far away from home. 14 points of the 27 achieved that speak of his enormous competitiveness in any field.
That is one of the big changes for this Espanyol, who is visiting Valladolid today with the intention of achieving his third consecutive victory in the League, something that has not happened since Rubi's time in the team. The growth of Martínez' men in this stretch of the championship has to do with the confidence that the good start to the year has given, the great form of players like Braithwaite and Darder, and the tranquility that new signings such as Pacheco in goal and Denis Suárez in midfield.
But nothing is done in a League as even as this one, in which eight teams coexist on just four points. Espanyol will begin their game at the José Zorrilla stadium three points from relegation, which after Getafe's victory marks their rival today. A direct confrontation of the many that will remain in these fifteen days that remain ahead of the end, for which Martínez recovers all his injured men except the long-term ones.
Predictably, Joselu and César Montes will return to Diego Martínez's eleven, from which a creditable Aleix Vidal should fall. The only doubt will be the presence of Cabrera or Sergi Gómez in the center of the rear. In Valladolid, Pacheta will be able to count on Darwin Machís, doubtful due to some discomfort in the soleus.
