La Liga September 19 Preview: Espanyol vs Elche & Athletic Club vs Alaves | Predictions and Score Tips
La Liga Matchday 7 brings two interesting fixtures for Indian football fans on September 19. Espanyol host struggling Elche at the RCDE Stadium before Athletic Club face in-form Alaves in an intriguing Basque clash at San Mames.
Both home sides will fancy their chances, but Alaves' impressive early-season form makes the second fixture particularly difficult to predict.
Espanyol vs Elche
Kick-off: September 19, 12:30 AM IST
Espanyol return home looking to get their season back on track after a mixed start to the 2026/27 La Liga campaign.
The Catalan side have collected four points from their opening four matches, with one win, one draw and two defeats. They have scored six goals and conceded five. Elche, meanwhile, have managed only one point and remain without a league victory after four matches.
Recent form gives Espanyol another advantage.
They opened their campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Levante before losing narrowly to Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. Their latest completed league fixture ended in a 1-1 draw against Sevilla.
Elche have struggled much more defensively. They suffered a 5-0 defeat against Barcelona before losing 3-2 to Racing Santander and 3-2 to Real Sociedad.
Team news is not perfect for either side. Espanyol are dealing with injuries to Javi Puado and Kike Garcia, while Elche's Adam Boayar is also sidelined with a muscle problem.
One statistic that favours the hosts is the recent head-to-head record: Espanyol are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Elche, recording three wins and three draws.
With home advantage and Elche struggling defensively, Espanyol should have the edge. However, their attacking absences mean this may not be a comfortable victory.
Match Prediction: Espanyol to win
Goals Outlook: 2–3 goals
Score Tips: 1-0 or 2-1
Espanyol's home advantage and Elche's defensive problems make the hosts the stronger pick, although the visitors have shown enough attacking threat to get on the scoresheet.
Athletic Club vs Alaves
Kick-off: September 19, 7:45 PM IST
The second fixture looks much more competitive as Athletic Club welcome Alaves to San Mames for a Basque clash.
Athletic have collected six points from their opening four matches, winning twice and losing twice. Alaves, however, have been one of the surprise packages of the opening weeks with 10 points from four matches — three wins and one draw.
The numbers underline just how impressive Alaves have been.
They have scored 10 goals and conceded only three, compared with Athletic's six goals scored and five conceded. Alaves therefore arrive with the stronger early-season record despite Athletic being the bigger name on paper.
Athletic's biggest advantage will be San Mames. Playing at home should allow them to press higher and play with greater intensity, something that could make this a very different test for Alaves.
However, injuries are a concern for the hosts. Peio Canales and Beñat Prados are sidelined, Unai Egiluz is a long-term absentee, while Dani Vivian has only recently returned to training. Gorka Guruzeta is also dealing with a hamstring injury.
Alaves have already shown they can punish teams that give them space. Their recent results include a 5-2 victory over Osasuna and a 1-0 win against Villarreal.
This makes the fixture considerably harder to call than the Espanyol match. Athletic have the stronger home advantage, but Alaves' current form cannot be ignored.
Match Prediction: Athletic Club win or draw
Goals Outlook: Under 3.5 goals
Score Tips: 1-1 or 2-1
Alaves' strong start suggests they are capable of taking something from San Mames. Athletic should enjoy spells of control at home, but a draw looks like a realistic outcome if the visitors maintain their defensive discipline.