Fifth-placed Espanyol host struggling Girona at RCDE Stadium on Friday evening, January 16, 2026, with Manolo González's men clear favorites against Míchel's injury-ravaged visitors. Espanyol (34 points) sit 13 points clear of 13th-placed Girona (21 points) and aim to bounce back from a derby defeat while the visitors battle an astonishing list of absences. The hosts have won three straight home matches and have not lost at home since November, while Girona arrive unbeaten in their last two but remain hampered by defensive fragility.
Espanyol come into this match unbeaten in two after a 1-1 draw on Sunday at Levante, following a 2-0 El Derbi Barceloní defeat to Barcelona on January 3. Prior to that setback, González's side had been in excellent form with three consecutive victories: 2-1 over Athletic Club on December 22, 1-0 against Getafe on December 13, and 1-0 over Rayo Vallecano on December 7. Missing forward Javier Puado for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL, the hosts will also be without suspended midfielder Pol Lozano. Espanyol's home record remains strong with only three defeats in 10 fixtures at RCDE Stadium this season, making them formidable opponents for any visiting side.
Girona enter this fixture on the back of consecutive victories but remain vulnerable defensively. They edged Osasuna 1-0 on Saturday before defeating Mallorca 2-1 on January 4, following heavy defeats to Atlético Madrid (3-0) on December 21 and Elche (3-0) on December 7. Manager Míchel faces a crisis with seven key players unavailable: Juan Carlos, Ricard Artero, Portu, Donny van de Beek, Axel Witsel, and Abel Ruiz are all sidelined through injury, while Azzedine Ounahi is absent for AFCON duty and also nursing a calf problem. Suspended midfielder Lass Kourouma adds to their woes, leaving Girona severely depleted for this challenging away trip.
The recent head-to-head record favors Girona, who have not lost to Espanyol in their last seven encounters. The most recent meeting ended 0-0 on September 26, 2025, continuing a pattern of tight contests between these Catalan rivals. Out of their last eight matches, Girona have won four, drawn three, and lost just once. However, that historical advantage means little given Girona's current injury crisis and poor league position compared to Espanyol's solid campaign.
My model backs Both Teams to Score at 19/20 (1.95 decimal) with a 49.41% probability. The correct score prediction is Espanyol 2-1, with expected goals of 1.37 for the hosts and 1.03 for Girona. Girona have scored in each of their last four matches despite their struggles. Despite the narrow xG gap and Girona's depleted squad, my model projects a tight contest with both teams finding the net.
