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La Liga 2016-2017: Malaga vs Espanyol, Preview, Prediction & Predicted Lineup

| Feb 01, 2017 03:41 AM EST

Espanyol players Gerard (L) and Jose Antonio Reyes.

Reeling club Malaga CF (5-8-7, 22 points) will try to get out of their current winless streak as they face middling team RCD Espanyol (7-5-8, 29 points) in a 2016-2017 La Liga season match at the La Rosaleda Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Start Time and Streaming Info

The game starts at 7:00 a.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.

Malaga has been winless in their last seven outings as the team dropped to the 14th spot of the Spanish top flight table. They are now nine points above the bottom three relegation zone and 12 points below the final Europa League qualifying berth presently held by sixth-running team Villarreal.

Los Boquerones was held to a 1-1 draw by the erstwhile cellar-dwellers Osasuna on the road at the El Sadar Stadium last Friday, as per ESPN.

After the first half ended in a goalless tie for both squads, Osasuna midfielder Goran Causic broke the game's deadlock in the 76th minute with a right-footed shot from the center of the box off an assist by Kenan Kodro.

However, head coach Marcelo Romero's side was quick to equalize with a header by midfielder Ignacio Camacho three minutes later from a cross by Luis Hernandez.

The stalemate snapped a four-game losing slide for Malaga.

Meanwhile, Espanyol pulled off a stunning 3-1 victory over a 10-man Sevilla side at their home ground of Cornella-El Prat Stadium in their most recent fixture last Sunday, via Goal.

Sevilla defender Nicolas Pareja was sent off in the second minute of the contest after a hard foul on Pablo Piatti inside the penalty area. Jose Antonio Reyes converted the ensuing spot kick to give the Periquitos the early one-point advantage.

Montenegrin forward Stevan Jovetic leveled the count for Sevilla in the 20th minute but head coach Quique Sánchez Flores' boys took back the lead in the first half injury time with a header by Marc Navarro.

Spanish striker Gerard sealed the game in the 71st as the hosts completed the upset win.

Prediction and Predicted Lineup

The predicted result is a 2-0 win by Espanyol.

Malaga starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Kameni; Rosales, Hernandez, Demichelis, Juan Carlos; Camacho, Recio; Juanpi, Fornals, Castro; Santos

Espanyol starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Diego Lopez; Navarro, David Lopez, Reyes, Martin; Jurado, Fuego; Gullon, Reyes, Piatti; Gerard 

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