Leganes are set to take on Valencia in La Liga on Friday, 4 October with both teams searching for their second wins of the new season.
Leganes are currently in their first season back in La Liga following four years in the second tier and have found it pretty difficult so far, picking up just seven points from their first eight years.
Valencia, meanwhile, have been mainstays in La Liga since 1987 but are arguably now more in danger of relegation than at any point in the last 37 years.
How the bookies view it: Too close to call
This is a match between two teams that are currently struggling for form and confidence in La Liga so it's no surprise that this match has been priced very cautiously. Leganes are the very marginal favourites with Betfred at 9/5 with a Valencia win priced at 15/8. The draw, which wouldn't be a bad result for either team, has been priced at 9/5.
Recent head-to-head: Positive signs for Leganes
This is the first time that the two clubs have met since 2020 so there isn't a whole lot of recent history between them. However, Leganes will take confidence from the fact that they are unbeaten across their last four meetings with Valencia (one win and three draws).
Prior to that run, Valencia had been on a six-match winning streak against Leganes and they will be keen to try and recapture that form.
Players to watch: Leganes turn to Cruz
Leganes have struggled for goals in recent weeks and they have blanked in four of their last six league matches. While defensively they have been largely okay, they do need to find a way to score more goals if they are to achieve their goals for the season and avoid relegation.
So far, they have only scored five goals in La Liga this season and three of those have been scored by Juan Cruz. The 24-year-old has adapted well to life in the top flight and is already just one goal away from equalling the tally he managed in La Liga 2 last season. He netted the equaliser against Rayo Vallecano last week and will be keen to build on that this weekend.
Valencia have also struggled for goals this season and unlike their opponents, they don't seem to have a goalscorer at the top of the pitch. Midfielder, Pepelu, has been a rare bright spark for the club this season and has registered two assists. Can he drive the team forward to a big victory on Friday?
Predicted line-ups
Leganes are without two first-team players for this one with Naim Garcia and Yvan Neyou both unavailable or this one due to injuries. Valencia have more concerns as Rafa Mir is missing due to his suspension from the club while Jesus Vazquez, Jaume Domenech, Mouctar Diakhaby and Jose Gaya are all injured.
Leganes: Dmitrovic – Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Hernandez – Lopez, Tapia, Cisse, Alti – Cruz, Haller
Valencia: Mamardashvili – Foulquier, Mosquera, Tarrega, Correia – Canos, Guilllamon, Pepelu, Rioja – Guerra, Duro
Anything else catch the eye?
Not a single one of Leganes' eight matches in La Liga this season has produced more than two goals while four of Valencia's last six have also failed to break the three-goal barrier. Under 2.5 goals to be scored on Friday night has been priced at 4/11 by Betfred.
This La Liga match between Leganes and Valencia will be played on Oct 4, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Leganes vs Valencia prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
