Villarreal host Espanyol, who arrive in crisis after a Copa exit
Espanyol sacked their coach after a cup loss to a fourth-tier side and sit in the relegation zone as they travel to Villarreal.
Villarreal host Espanyol at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Friday (20:00 local kickoff as listed by Football Whispers) in a game that finds the visitors in turmoil.
Espanyol's week
On Tuesday, Espanyol lost 4-3 after extra time to fourth-tier Sestao River in the Copa del Rey, according to Catalan outlet Ara. The club announced that Manolo González would no longer be head coach less than an hour after the defeat. Ara notes it was Espanyol's third straight season of going out of the cup to a Second Federation side, and that González had won only four matches in all of 2026.
Who takes over is unclear in the coverage we could verify: Football Whispers, in a preview published Oct. 28, lists reserve-team manager Sergio García as a temporary appointment, while a headline on Ara's page, also dated Oct. 28, refers to Eder Sarabia being announced as the new coach. Torch has not confirmed which is correct.
In La Liga, Football Whispers has Espanyol 18th with eight points after 10 matches, in the relegation zone, with one point from their last five league games.
Villarreal's position
Villarreal are 10th with 12 points (three wins, three draws, four defeats), per the same preview. They won their last two league games before the Copa week, including a 2-1 comeback win at Valencia, and beat Manacor 5-0 in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
Team news and history
Football Whispers lists Nathan Saliba and Carlos Romero as injured for Villarreal and Pape Gueye as suspended, with Ilias Akhomach facing a late fitness test after a fresh muscular injury. It reports no major injury concerns or suspensions for Espanyol. Team news can change before kickoff.
The head-to-head record leans heavily one way: the preview says Villarreal have won seven straight meetings with Espanyol, and that Espanyol have not won in the last eight.
Why it matters
For Villarreal, a home game against the league's bottom side is a chance to move up from mid-table. For Espanyol, a first match under a new coach, whoever it proves to be, comes with no recent wins to lean on in either competition.