Villarreal recover the ball high and keep attacks moving through wide runners and the next clearance. Espanyol can escape through Expósito and then find Zaragoza or Hernández beyond that pressure. The key sequence is whether Villarreal's next wave reaches another clean box contact after the first effort is blocked.
Moleiro and Buchanan can attack the far side, while Pérez, Moreno and Mikautadze give Villarreal finishers for the second delivery. Gueye and Akhomach played the previous league match but are unavailable here; Maciá has recent minutes as a midfield outlet, and Pepe played the cup match after returning. Espanyol's new match-day coach said the extra-time cup left little preparation, and several defenders played the full extended match. Racing and Sestao repeatedly reached Espanyol's target, showing how sustained service can produce another useful contact. Villarreal rested several attacking roles in their cup match and came back through fresh wide supply at Valencia. That's why I'm siding with Villarreal to win with room to spare.
