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Eibar welcome Real Valladolid on Saturday as the two struggling sides clash in a game which could eventually decide their future in La Liga come the end of the season.
Eibar's impressive seven-year run in the Spanish top-flight defeating all odds seems to be under severe threat. The Basque club are one place above the drop zone, with half the season already over.
Jose Mendilibar's side have managed just one point from their previous five league fixtures and are struggling to outscore opposition despite getting on the scoresheet regularly.
In their previous game, Eibar were sunk by an 84th-minute winner from Ante Budimir while away at Osasuna, dropping a further two places in the table.
Meanwhile, Real Valladolid's fortunes don't seem to be changing anytime soon.
Like Eibar, Valladolid are winless in five games. Last Saturday, Sergio Gonzalez's men were away at fellow relegation battlers Alaves and suffered a 1-0 defeat as they were absolutely toothless in attack.
The club, owned by Ronaldo Nazario, could see their way back down to the Segunda division after three years in La Liga if things don't change soon.
Eibar vs Real Valladolid Head-to-Head
Eibar and Real Valladolid have shared space in the Spanish top-flight for only three seasons.
In that span, the two clubs have met five times, sharing two wins each with one fixture ending in a draw.
Eibar form guide (all competitions): L-L-D-L-L
Real Valladolid form guide (all competitions): L-L-L-D-D
Eibar vs Real Valladolid Team News
Eibar
Eibar will be without fullbacks Roberto Correa and Kevin Rodrigues, who will spend a few more weeks on the sidelines with injuries.
Aside from that, Jose Luis Mendilibar has his entire squad available to welcome Real Valladolid on Saturday.
Injuries: Roberto Correa and Kevin Rodrigues
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid have four first-team players missing for the trip to Eibar. Javi Sanchez was expected to return from his ankle injury this week and may board the team bus to the stadium. His place in the starting lineup, however, remains in question.
Injuries: Jawad El Yamiq, Sergi Guardiola, Marcos de Sousa
Doubtful: Javi Sanchez
Eibar vs Real Valladolid Predicted Line-up
Eibar Predicted XI (4-4-2): Marko Dmitrovic; Alejandro Pozo, Paulo Oliveira, Pedro Bigas, Rafa Soares; Yoshinori Muto, Papakouli Diop, Edu Exposito, Bryan Gil; Sergei Enrich, Kike Garcia
Real Valladolid Predicted XI (4-3-3): Jordi Masip; Luis Perez, Joaquin Fernandez, Bruno Gonzalez, Lucas Olaza; Roque Mesa, Fede San Emeterio, Kike Perez; Oscar Plano, Shon Weissman, Fabian Orellana
Eibar vs Real Valladolid
The game is a potential relegation 'six-pointer', as the two sides are currently placed 17th and 18th in the La Liga table. They are separated by Eibar's better head-to-head record against Valladolid from the reverse league fixture earlier in the season.
Alaves face Barcelona and Osasuna travel to the gritty Levante this weekend. That means that Eibar and Valladolid have a golden opportunity to move away from the relegation zone and gain an advantage over other relegation rivals with a win.
We expect both teams to score, as they are both capable in attack. The result is difficult to predict, but we expect Eibar to come out on top and end their winless run.
Prediction: Eibar 2-1 Real Valladolid
