Real Madrid will take on Espanyol in the fifth round of La Liga this Saturday, September 20, with kickoff at 16:15 CET. Here’s a preview of the match.
Real Madrid – Espanyol: Match Preview
Last season, Real Madrid did not win any trophies and fell short in the league. They have a new manager, Xabi Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti. Real Madrid had a disappointing exit in the FIFA Club World Cup, losing 0-4 to PSG in the semifinals. However, they have started this season well, winning all four of their La Liga matches: a 1-0 win against Osasuna, a 3-0 victory over Real Oviedo, a 2-1 win against Mallorca, and another 2-1 result against Real Sociedad. This week, they also began their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Marseille, leading to a perfect record of 12 points from 12 and sitting at the top of the table.
Espanyol lost their main goalkeeper to Barcelona during the transfer window, but they have started the La Liga season strongly. They began with a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, followed by a 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad. In their next match, they edged out Osasuna 1-0 and recently secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Mallorca, even while down to ten players. After four rounds, Espanyol is in third place with 10 points.
Match Facts and Head-to-Head Statistics
- Real Madrid has won six consecutive matches.
- Espanyol remains unbeaten in their last 12 matches with nine wins and three draws.
- Espanyol has scored in nine straight games, while Real Madrid has done so in six consecutive matches.
- In their last meeting, Espanyol defeated Real Madrid 1-0, their only win in the last five matchups.
Probable Lineups
- Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Asencio, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
- Espanyol: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Dolan, Lozano, Gonzalez de Zarate, Puado; K Garcia, Fernandez
Prediction
Real Madrid is in excellent form and will host Espanyol at the Bernabéu. It is likely that the home team will win again, so betting on Real Madrid to score over 2.5 goals seems a good option at odds of 1.73.