Espanyol vs Celta Vigo preview - Espanyol calling on support

Posted Saturday, January 12, 2013 by PA

Espanyol can move out of the relegation zone with a win over Celta Vigo this weekend and midfielder Victor Sanchez is hoping the home fans will show up in numbers despite Los Pericos' thrashing in the Catalan derby last weekend.

Javier Aguirre's men were swept aside by Barcelona, who scored all of their goals in a 4-0 win in the opening half an hour.

It was, however, Espanyol's first defeat in five games since the Mexican took charge and Sanchez believes home games against fellow strugglers Celta and Mallorca in the next two weeks could turn their season around.

He told Marca: "The game is at 6pm which is a good time and the fans know it is a very important match. For those that come to support us I am sure we are not going to defraud them.

"We need to win the games to come at home. They are two key games. If we don't win nothing will be decided, but for our confidence levels and points total it would be important for us.

"It is not the final straight but we have to position ourselves because it is going to be a long road. We have 15 points and we need to arrive at 40 or more and in the second part of the season the teams that don't appear as if they will pick up points always do."

Hector Moreno will be suspended for the hosts after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign at the Nou Camp so Raul Rodriguez will deputise in central defence and goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez remains a doubt with a hamstring problem.

Celta though have more pressing injury concerns as Hugo Mallo will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate anterior ligament in the 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Andres Tunez was also injured at the Bernabeu and is set to miss at least the next two weeks so Vadim Demidov could be handed a league debut in central defence.

Paco Herrera did, though, keep a number of his star players in reserve for the cup in midweek so Javi Varas, Roberto Lago, Borja Oubina and Iago Aspas should all return to the starting line-up.