logo
Sergi Cardona vs. Espanyol – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 3

Sergi Cardona vs. Espanyol – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 3

USA Today04-03-2025
Sergi Cardona vs. Espanyol – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 3
[gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ]
When Villarreal CF plays Espanyol on Monday, March 3 at 3:00 PM ET, will Sergi Cardona find the back of the net? Continue reading for updated stats and anytime goalscorer odds for this match.
Villarreal's last game was a 1-0 victory away from home against Rayo Vallecano, taking nine shots and outshooting Rayo Vallecano by four.
Keep up with LaLiga action this season on Fubo!
Sergi Cardona's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Espanyol
Odds to score a goal next game: +1300
Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 12:39 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
[gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ]
Sergi Cardona's 2024-25 Stats
Comparing Cardona's expected goals total (1.1) to his actual total (one), you see those numbers are quite close.
In terms of assists, he has tallied one in two of the 24 matches he has appeared in this season.
So far in the 2024-25 season, he has attempted 13 shots, averaging 0.5 per game.
Villarreal CF vs. Espanyol Scoring Insights
Villarreal has scored 48 goals in 25 games this season (third in LaLiga), and Espanyol has allowed 36 goals in 25 games (11th in league).
In LaLiga, Espanyol has put up 24 goals in 25 games (16th in league), and Villarreal has given up 35 in 25 games (10th).
With 48 goals scored and 35 conceded, Villarreal is fifth in LaLiga in goal differential.
Espanyol has been outscored 36-24, and its -12 goal differential is 16th in LaLiga.
Villarreal CF vs. Espanyol Match Info
Matchup: Villarreal vs. Espanyol
Villarreal vs. Espanyol Time: 3:00 PM ET
3:00 PM ET Date: March 3, 2025
March 3, 2025 Venue: Estadio de la Ceramica
More Player Props:
[gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How to watch South Africa vs Australia: Live stream the 2025 Rugby Championship game
How to watch South Africa vs Australia: Live stream the 2025 Rugby Championship game

Tom's Guide

time40 minutes ago

  • Tom's Guide

How to watch South Africa vs Australia: Live stream the 2025 Rugby Championship game

Springboks vs Wallabies promises to serve as a fascinating 2025 Rugby Championship opener. South Africa obliterated Australia twice at last year's tournament, but it feels like Joe Schmidt's men are on an upwards swing, and even Eben Etzebeth might run into trouble trying to bully the massive Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton. You can watch South Africa vs Australia live streams from anywhere with a VPN. The South Africa vs Australia live stream takes place on Saturday, August 16. • Time: 11:10 a.m. ET / 8:10 a.m. PT / 4:10 p.m. BST / 1:10 a.m. AEST (Sun.)► U.S. — FloRugby► U.K. — Sky Sports► Australia — Stan Sport► Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free While South Africa have taken things easy in the lead-up to the tournament, with routine victories over Italy and Georgia, Australia are battle-tested. They lost the Lions series, but they'd entered it as underdogs, were ravaged by injuries, but still came within seconds of a towering upset. They ended the series on a high too, with Nic White conducting a dominant display on what was meant to be his swansong. He loved the experience so much he's done a U-turn. Rob Valetini is still out, as are Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Jake Gordon, Australia's starting fly-half, No.2 and No.3. Having led the Crusaders to the Super Rugby title, James O'Connor isn't a bad backup to the backup's backup. His opposite number is Manie Libbok, whose backyard style should enhance the spectacle. One thing the Boks do have going for them is the Ellis Park Stadium factor. They possess a 10-1 record against the Aussies at the high-altitude venue, that sole blemish coming way back in 1963. Here's how to watch South Africa vs Australia live streams from anywhere in the world. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the rugby on your usual subscription? You can still watch South Africa vs Australia live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN — we explain why in our NordVPN review. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 115+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 70% off NordVPN with this deal Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view an American service, you'd select U.S. from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to FloRugby or another streaming service and watch South Africa vs Australia. Rugby fans based in the U.S. can watch South Africa vs Australia, along with every match of the Rugby Championship, on dedicated rugby streaming service FloRugby. A subscription costs $29.99 per month or $150 per year. Away from the U.S. on vacation right now? Remember to get a NordVPN so you can enjoy South Africa vs Australia coverage as you would back home. Rugby fans in Canada can catch South Africa vs Australia on the TSN Plus streaming service. A subscription lets you get access to all TSN has to offer, including ATP and WTA tennis and PGA Tour golf, on an $8/month or $80/year subscription basis. If you're outside Canada but have a subscription, you can watch the Rugby Championship game with the aid of a VPN, such as NordVPN. South Africa vs Australia is being shown on Sky Sports in the U.K.. It will go out on the Sky Sports Action channel. Sky Sports subscribers can also watch the rugby on mobile devices via the Sky Go app that's available for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles. If you want to sign up, you can check out Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices. Or, if you don't fancy being locked into a contract, you could opt for a NOW Sports membership with plans starting at £14.99 a month. If you're abroad right now you can still follow your usual South Africa vs Australia live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN. The South Africa vs Wallabies is being broadcast on Stan Sport ad-free and in 4K in Australia. Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan plan, which starts at AU$12/month. If you're away from Australia right now and want to watch your usual subscription from back home, use a quality VPN like NordVPN. South Africa vs Australia is on Sky Sport 1 in New Zealand, with live streaming available via Sky Sport Now. This costs $29.99/week, $54.99/month or $549.99/year. Sky Sport in New Zealand is also the home of the EPL, F1 and countless other sports from around the world. Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow the Rugby Championship by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN. The Springboks vs Australia game is being televised on subscription service SuperSport. You'll need a DStv access package to watch SuperSport, with prices starting at R99 per month. The game will be broadcast on SuperSport's dedicated rugby channel. Outside South Africa for the game? Just use a VPN to tell your device that you're back home and you'll be good to go. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

How Barcelona play: Pedri's line-breaking passes, that offside trap and how will Rashford change things?
How Barcelona play: Pedri's line-breaking passes, that offside trap and how will Rashford change things?

New York Times

time41 minutes ago

  • New York Times

How Barcelona play: Pedri's line-breaking passes, that offside trap and how will Rashford change things?

In his first year in charge, Hansi Flick turned a Barcelona side struggling to find their identity into the ultimate entertainers. Barca won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana and also reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years, scoring 174 goals across 60 matches. Advertisement Along with the intricate passing sequences they have traditionally been known for, the Catalans embraced directness and verticality, becoming one of Europe's best counter-attacking sides. Here, The Athletic break down how this Barcelona side play the game. A key component of Barcelona's style last season was their versatility from build-up situations. Flick's side used a 4-2-3-1 formation for most of the campaign, but were fluid on the pitch. Against Borussia Dortmund, who pressed them high in the Champions League quarter-finals, midfielder Frenkie de Jong dropped in between the centre-backs, with right-back Jules Kounde staying deep while left-back Alejandro Balde moved into midfield. Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez provided longer passing options into midfield, while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha (not in frame) stayed high and wide. When the ball is moved up to midfield, the TV angle pans to show the large gaps between Barcelona's attack and midfield, and between the three forwards themselves. This is a trademark of Flick's setup, which looks to create large distances between players in build-up. That gives them freedom to move into different areas of the pitch, while forcing opponents to cover bigger spaces. When up against more organised defences that allowed them to bring the ball forward without pressure, Barcelona used players operating closer together in midfield. The example below, away to Atletico Madrid, sees them adopt a 3-4-2-1 shape, with Raphinha — nominally a left-winger but regularly featuring as a No 10 — and Dani Olmo operating between the lines. Pedri is pivotal to how Barca move the ball through the thirds. As the scatterplot below shows, few players were as involved in both getting the ball into the attacking third and in stringing moves together in that part of the pitch as the 22-year-old midfielder across La Liga, the Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga and Serie A. The Spaniard did so with a variety of line-breaking passes, including switches, lobs and through balls. The map below details his most common line-breaking passes, using data from SkillCorner. Balde is equally important to their system. No other full-back in the squad has the 21-year-old's explosiveness in possession, with his 4.7 carries of 10+ meters towards the opposition goal per 90 ranking second at his position in La Liga last season. A great example of how this translates to chance creation came in the 7-1 league win against Valencia. Balde receives the ball under pressure on the left and carries it past his defender, creating a transition-like situation. Barcelona eventually find Balde again out wide on the left. Raphinha makes a clever off-the-ball run to create space for Ferran Torres to convert Balde's cross. Raphinha's runs perfectly connected Yamal's creative potential with Lewandowski's striking instincts, resulting in several beautifully worked goals, despite the three forwards typically operating some distance away from each other. Their opener against Young Boys was a fine example of the kind of goals made possible by unselfish off-ball running. For UK readers… Barcelona pass rings around Young Boys as Robert Lewandowski scores at the back post 🤩 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 1, 2024 For U.S. readers… Robert Lewandowski finishes up a brilliant team move to put Barcelona in front 💥 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 1, 2024 That also makes them a significant threat in transition too, with Barcelona scoring 15 times last season from fast breaks (defined by Opta as an attempt created after the defensive team quickly turn defence into attack having won the ball back in their own half). Barcelona's calling card without the ball was their offside trap, which caught opponents out a staggering 181 times in the league, 62 more than any other team across La Liga, Serie A, the Premier League and Bundesliga. They added 82 more in the Champions League, more than double the next-best team for that metric (Aston Villa with 34). They used a high defensive line that moved in sync, with Barca's defenders constantly monitoring each other. Subtle moves, such as the one below by Inigo Martinez against Benfica, were crucial in trapping opponents. The peak came when Kylian Mbappe was flagged offside eight times in the first Clasico of the season in October. The intensity required and margins at play meant Barcelona needed to be incredibly precise. As the season progressed, fatigue and injuries set in and the personnel therefore changed, making their offside trap harder to keep up. In the Champions League semi-final, Inter repeatedly used switches to get their defence to shuffle from one side to the other before targeting runs in behind in the gaps that opened up. Advertisement Barca's high press fed into the issue, too. Flick's preferred set-up often saw the two wingers press the centre-backs and Lewandowski or Torres harry the goalkeeper, with the full-backs pushing up onto the opposition's wide defenders. But when teams were able to find their holding midfielders — often marked by Pedri or De Jong — Barcelona were often caught out. De Jong sometimes struggled to press at the right moment, an issue that continued in their 5-0 Joan Gamper Trophy friendly win against Como this month. In the example below, the Dutchman is slow to push up towards Nico Paz (No 79), resulting in Barca old boy Sergi Roberto (No 8) escaping the press and switching the ball to Ivan Azon in space on the left. Barcelona's approach relies on closing down players rather than spaces. If their press from the front fails, teams can scythe through them with few passes. Barca conceded nine goals last season from sequences that began in the opposition's half and involved between three and five passes, only behind Leicester City (11) across the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A. Flick is not strictly wedded to an all-out attacking approach, though, getting his team to drop into a compact shape when defending slender leads, as seen below in their 1-0 win against Benfica with 10 men. Barcelona scored 14 goals from corners in La Liga and the Champions League last season. Their corner routines often involved one runner moving towards the near post, two to the far one and three or four players starting runs at different points to arrive in the six-yard box. Two players stayed at the edge of the box for opportunities such as the one from which Raphinha forced a Yann Sommer own goal against Inter in the Champions League semi-final. Back-post headers were a consistent theme. Dortmund, Young Boys and Crvena Zvezda were all on the receiving end of goals scored from such headers into the six-yard box. Ronald Araujo scored with one against Atalanta, too. Advertisement But as with their attacking strategy, Barcelona also relied on winning the first contact to defend set pieces, which was difficult given the limited number of tall players in their squad. They conceded seven goals from corners across La Liga and the Champions League. Their structure while defending corners involved three players in and around the near-post zone, four man-markers in the centre, one at the back post and two out near the edge of the penalty box. Inter exploited Barca's physical disadvantages with Denzel Dumfries moving late from a zonal position into the centre of the box twice in the semi-final's first leg, scoring on both occasions. They were also guilty of lapses in concentration, with Araujo at fault for this goal scored by Real Betis' Natan… … and Kounde and Lewandowski failing to follow Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy in this example after Ramy Bensebaini outmuscled Gerard Martin. Joan Garcia appears to be an improvement in goal after signing this summer from local rivals Espanyol. He prevented 7.7 non-penalty goals — the highest in La Liga — last season for an Espanyol team who finished just two points above the relegation zone. In contrast, Wojciech Szczesny prevented 0.2 goals for Barca, and team-mate Inaki Pena conceded one more than expected. Garcia has tremendous reflexes and is a commanding presence in the box. There were questions over his distribution, given Espanyol's system required him to go long 54 per cent of the time in La Liga 2024-25. But he has shown confidence in possession in pre-season and has swept up well behind the high line too. Up front, Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford offers versatility, given his ability to play across the front line. During that win over Como, he began as the centre-forward but drifted to the left, opening new avenues for Flick's attack. Advertisement In possession, Rashford's presence on the left allows Raphinha to play as a No 10, with Lopez or Olmo offering runs from midfield. His pace is an upgrade on Lewandowski, who turns 37 next week, which allows Barcelona to score goals like the one below, with the Englishman receiving from Garcia, laying the ball off and making the run to latch onto the return and set up Raphinha from the right. ⚽️ 𝐅𝐔́𝐓𝐁𝐎𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 ⚽️ 👟 De Joan Garcia a Raphinha ⚡️ La verticalidad de Rashford y Fermín 👀 La visión de Eric — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 11, 2025 Out of possession, Rashford drifting across the pitch offers balance. In the example below, he and Yamal pin the full-backs, creating gaps for Raphinha and Pedri to operate centrally. It also allows Balde to be perfectly positioned to join the attack or track back in case of a turnover. The final positive is in the return of midfielder Marc Bernal after nearly a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 18-year-old is a natural No 6 with the ability to dictate the tempo with passes, as opposed to De Jong's ball-carrying. He also slotted nicely into Flick's man-marking system early last season. A fully-fit Gavi, who has scored four times in pre-season, provides more midfield depth too. Barcelona's biggest challenge will be how they cope with losing Inigo Martinez, who joined Al Nassr on a free transfer this month. The Spaniard was one of their best players last season and was the only left-footed centre-back in the squad, with his ranging switches towards Yamal on the right proving crucial to Flick's vertical approach. He was also a goal threat from set pieces, while his reading of crosses and partnership with Pau Cubarsi and Balde were integral to Barcelona's defence. Martinez's departure has seen Araujo, the club's second captain behind the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, shifted to starter status, but the move will not be seamless. Araujo is at his best as a right-sided centre-back. But when Cubarsi was moved to the left while playing alongside the Uruguayan last season, he struggled to make his trademark line-breaking passes. Add in Araujo's struggles in progressing play with passes, his difficulties in defending space and questions over his suitability for Flick's high line, and Barca have a defensive problem to solve. Andreas Christensen is comfortable on the left, which offers a solution, while Martin, a left-back by trade, played there in pre-season. Overall, though, Barcelona have a deep squad with plenty of quality as they aim to build on last season's success. (Top photo of Pedri:) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle

Why are Real Madrid starting the new La Liga season on a Tuesday?
Why are Real Madrid starting the new La Liga season on a Tuesday?

New York Times

time41 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Why are Real Madrid starting the new La Liga season on a Tuesday?

The new La Liga season got under way last night, with defending champions Barcelona to play later on Saturday away at Mallorca. Real Madrid, though, aren't in action until Tuesday, when they host Osasuna at the Bernabeu at 9pm local time. That's a fairly unusual situation, as La Liga matchdays generally tend to be at most spread across Friday-Monday — the occasional midweek fixtures aside, of course. Advertisement Madrid usually play on a Saturday or Sunday, but this year it's different and that has a lot to do with the club's participation in the Club World Cup. Xabi Alonso's side reached the semi-finals of that competition in the United States, losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain. It meant their 2024-25 season did not actually finish until July 10. Only at that point were players finally released to take a break. They then returned to pre-season training in Madrid on August 4 — just 15 days before the Osasuna fixture. Madrid asked La Liga to postpone their opening match against Osasuna, but this was rejected by the competition body and by the Spanish FA, who ultimately had the final decision. It did not go down well at Madrid, with the club's official TV channel launching an angry response last week. The Osasuna game will take place a little later than might have been previously expected, however. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, rather than on the weekend. Despite their request to push back their opening game, Madrid always intended to return to training on August 4. They have since played two friendly matches — one against Leganes behind closed doors at their training ground and the other at Austrian top-flight side WSG Tirol on Tuesday night (they won 4-0). In conversation with The Athletic last week, a source from Madrid's coaching staff — who did not want to be identified as they did not have permission to comment — spoke of mixed feelings about this unusual pre-season. The source said playing at the Club World Cup did not help their preparation for various reasons — including the number of minutes accumulated, weather conditions described as 'adverse' due to humidity and heat, poor pitches, time differences and the staging of the tournament at the end of a full season. Advertisement But another source involved in the day-to-day at Valdebebas described the Club World Cup as 'very useful' because it served to achieve the main objective, which was 'to change the team's dynamic' from last season. Alonso and his collaborators wanted to implement a method in which the players showed more intensity in training. Videos were more present and more individualised, and other aspects such as punctuality were taken care of. 'We're happy, but now we have to start again,' the source added. Madrid are looking to put a campaign in which they won none of the three major trophies — La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey — behind them. Expectations are very high behind the scenes after Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti and he looks set to have much more power than his predecessors as coach. Madrid have also spent more than €180million (£156m; $210m) on four signings: €10m on Trent Alexander-Arnold, so that he could play the Club World Cup with them rather than waiting for his Liverpool contract to expire at the end of June, €58m on Spain centre-back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, €50m on left-back Alvaro Carreras from Benfica and €63m on Argentine playmaker Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Two of the club's longest-serving players have also left in Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric, taking with them a combined 51 winners' medals. So it has been a summer of change on and off the pitch — and Madrid need to hit the ground running when their campaign kicks off on Tuesday night. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store