H2H: Espanyol vs. Ludogorets – Prediction (Europa League

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Espanyol beat Ludogorets 1-0 in the reverse fixture, with neither side managing a single shot on target in the second half.

Second bottom of their domestic league after just two wins, Espanyol have found some respite in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) and back-to back away wins ‘to nil’ – including a 1-0 win over Ludogorets in the previous round – finds the Spanish side top of Group H. Boosting their cause, Espanyol are unbeaten in 24 European games (W18, D6 – 90 mins only), winning ten of their 11 home games (D1). All four of Victor Campuzano’s goals this season have accompanied an Espanyol win ‘to nil’ in the UEL. Those two 1-0 UEL scorelines formed part of a run of seven straight competitive Espanyol games to see just one side score, a sequence that was only broken last weekend. Indeed looking at just UEFA competitive games, 44 of Espanyol’s 67 all-time games have actually seen just one, or no side score.

Twelve of the 17 competitive Espanyol games this season to produce a winner, saw a multi-goal margin of success. Ludogorets haven’t conceded an away goal in 438 minutes of competitive football. Espanyol are winless in six competitive home games (D1, L5).

Bulgarian champions Ludogorets head to Spain in second place in the group albeit having lost each of their five historical matches against Spanish sides. However, the loss at home to Espanyol is now their only loss in 24 competitive games (W17, D6), and also continued a theme of second-half shut outs for them – which stands at 12 straight matches. Claudiu Keșerü (LUD) hasn’t been on the losing side for club or country in the last 15 games that’s he’s netted. Eleven games into their European adventure this season (UEL+UCL), only three of Ludogorets’ nine UEL games have seen both sides score. All five of their UEL wins also saw them win despite a -1 handicap, while the last eight of their European games to see goals featured one team leading at half-time ‘to nil’.