Manolo González, the coach of RCD Espanyol, has officially announced the lineup for tonight’s crucial match against Villarreal, set to kick off at 21:00 hours. Villarreal, managed by Marcelino García Toral, currently sits fourth in the standings, holding an eight-point lead over the sixth-placed Espanyol, who have accumulated 34 points.
In a bid to recover from a challenging January that saw the team suffer four defeats and a draw, González has made significant adjustments to the starting eleven, implementing five changes. Notably, José Salinas and Pol Lozano will take the places of Carlos Romero and Ramon Terrats, who are sidelined due to the “fear clause.” Additionally, Omar El Hilali, Tyrhys Dolan, and Pere Milla will replace Clemens Riedel, Jofre Carreras, and Kike García, who will start on the bench.
The Espanyol team is likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Dmitrovic as the goalkeeper. The defensive lineup includes Omar, Calero, Cabrera, and Salinas. In the midfield, Urko and Pol Lozano will anchor the play, while the attacking trio will be Dolan, Edu Expósito, and Pere Milla, supporting forward Roberto Fernández. Fernández notably scored the lone goal for Espanyol in their recent 1-2 loss against Alavés.
On the Villarreal side, the starters will include Luiz Júnior in goal, supported by defenders Pau Navarro, Mouriño, Renato Veiga, and Sergi Cardona. The midfield will consist of Pépé, Pape Gueye, Parejo, and Moleiro, with Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno leading the attack. Moreno is particularly significant as he has been deemed fit to play after concerns about his availability.
This match marks an important opportunity for Espanyol to turn their fortunes around as they face a strong Villarreal side. Fans are eager to see how the adjustments made by González will impact the team’s performance in this high-stakes encounter.