Racing Santander host Espanyol in La Liga on October 24, 2026, with kick-off at 14:15 local time. The teams are separated by one place in the standings: Racing are 17th and Espanyol 16th. Their recent records are identical, with one win, one draw and three defeats apiece in their last five matches. Racing have been unbeaten at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero this season, but their games there have consistently featured goals. Espanyol arrive with a balanced scoring record on the road and a chance to test a home defence that has conceded regularly.

Racing Santander's Recent Form and Key Stats

Racing Santander have taken two wins and two draws from their first nine league fixtures, losing the other five. They average 1.4 goals scored and 2.8 conceded per match. Their last five games have been particularly difficult: three defeats and a draw have followed their 2-1 victory over Alavés. Those five fixtures have brought an average of 1.2 goals scored and 3.4 conceded.

Recent results underline how open Racing's matches can become. They lost 7-2 to Barcelona and 5-0 to Celta de Vigo, while their meeting with Valencia ended 2-2. Most recently, Osasuna beat them 2-0 on October 18. Racing have conceded at least once in each of their last 14 matches, leaving defensive improvement as an important concern for this fixture.

Home form offers a counterpoint. Racing have won twice and drawn twice at El Sardinero this season, and every one of those games has produced at least three goals. The broader trend is just as striking: over 2.5 total goals have been scored in Racing's last 11 home matches. Their last 12 home fixtures have also featured at least one first-half goal. Those figures describe the total goals in the games, rather than goals scored by Racing alone.

In attack, Yassir Zabiri has scored seven goals in nine appearances. Íñigo Vicente has supplied three assists, while Pablo García has scored twice. Those contributions give Racing several ways to threaten Espanyol, even as their recent results show the cost of conceding so often.

Espanyol's Recent Form and Key Stats

Espanyol have also recorded two wins, two draws and five losses in La Liga. Their averages of 1.2 goals scored and 1.3 conceded per game point to a more even scoring record than Racing's. Over their last five matches, Espanyol have averaged one goal for and 1.4 against, collecting one victory and one draw alongside three defeats.

That win came away to Osasuna by a 2-0 scoreline. Since then, Espanyol have lost 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano and 3-1 to Elche, drawn 1-1 with Málaga and fallen 1-0 at home to Atlético de Madrid on October 17. They led Málaga before conceding a late equaliser, and Atlético's winner also arrived late. Turning competitive spells into results is therefore a pressing issue for the visitors.

Espanyol's four away league games have produced five goals scored and five conceded. That balance suggests they can contribute to the scoreline at El Sardinero without offering a guarantee of defensive control. At least one second-half goal, for either side, has been scored in 18 of Espanyol's last 20 La Liga away matches.

Roberto Fernández has six goals this season, making him a central figure in Espanyol's attack. Javi Hernández has provided five assists in nine games, and Bryan Zaragoza is also mentioned among their attacking options. Kike García is unavailable, while Jofre Carreras is a doubt.

Probable Lineups: Racing Santander vs Espanyol

Racing have a doubt over Eriksson. The possible Racing lineup listed for this match is Agirrezabala, Pablo Ramón, Belocian, Mantilla, Salinas, Prati, Iván Martín, Canales, Íñigo Vicente, Andrés Martín and Zabiri.

Espanyol's possible lineup is Fortuño, Riedel, Cabrera, Drkusic, El Hilali, Hinojo, Edu Expósito, Lozano, Javi Hernández, Bryan Zaragoza and Roberto Fernández. These are possible selections rather than confirmed starting teams.

Racing Santander vs Espanyol Match Analysis

Neither side has built momentum over the past five games, and both have the same two-win, two-draw, five-loss league record. Racing's unbeaten home start is relevant, but it sits alongside a long run of concessions. Espanyol's away scoring record gives them a route into the match, while their own five goals conceded in four away fixtures leave room for Racing's forwards to respond.

The clearest pattern is in the goal totals at El Sardinero. Racing's last 11 home matches have all gone over 2.5 goals, and their four home league fixtures this season have each contained at least three. Espanyol's recent league matches have produced a mixture of scorelines, so their form does not point as strongly in one direction. Still, the combination of Racing's home goal trend, their defensive record and Espanyol's five away goals makes another match with chances at both ends a credible possibility.

Racing Santander vs Espanyol prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 54% probability.