Espanyol vs Real Madrid - prediction, team news, lineups

Real Madrid's 2026-27 La Liga run volition statesman connected Saturday evening, with Jose Mourinho's broadside heading to RCDE Stadium to tackle Espanyol.

Los Blancos volition beryllium aiming to wrestle the rubric backmost from Barcelona this season, portion Espanyol volition person their eyes connected a top-half finish, and the Catalan outfit opened their run with a 3-0 occurrence implicit Levante connected August 16.

Match preview

Espanyol were fantabulous successful their opening lucifer of the caller play against Levante, moving retired 3-0 winners, with Roberto Fernandez scoring a brace for the Catalan side.

Manolo Gonzalez's broadside finished 11th successful Spain's apical formation past season, but their signifier successful the archetypal fractional of the run was exceptional, having the look of a imaginable Champions League outfit earlier a mediocre 2nd fractional of the play saw them descent down the table.

Espanyol person made 5 signings this summer, portion determination person been 10 departures, truthful determination is simply a caller look to the squad this season.

The Catalan broadside mislaid 2-0 to Real Madrid successful some league games past season, but they did grounds a 1-0 triumph implicit Los Blancos erstwhile the brace locked horns astatine RCDE Stadium successful February 2025.

Espanyol person won 46 and mislaid 119 of their erstwhile 201 matches against Real Madrid, and it volition beryllium fascinating to spot however Los Blancos execute this play nether Mourinho.

Real Madrid were not progressive successful the opening acceptable of La Liga fixtures owed to the fig of players that the nine had successful the second stages of the 2026 World Cup, truthful their gameweek 1 lucifer against Real Sociedad volition alternatively instrumentality spot connected August 26.

Los Blancos volition beryllium bidding to marque the cleanable commencement to their play erstwhile they tackle Espanyol, and reclaiming the league rubric is precise overmuch connected the docket this term, with Barcelona lifting the title successful each of the past 2 campaigns.

Real Madrid played 5 times successful pre-season, signaling 4 wins, including 3 consecutive victories implicit Ferencvaros, Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke 04.

Los Blancos person had a standout transportation window, bringing successful Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva.

Vinicius Junior, who was heavy linked with Arsenal, has besides signed a caller contract, and Real Madrid surely look successful beardown signifier to bask a palmy 2026-27 campaign.

Espanyol La Liga form:

Real Madrid pre-season form:

Team News

Espanyol volition decidedly beryllium without the services of Kike Garcia (hamstring), Javi Puado (knee) and Leandro Cabrera (suspended) for this weekend's clash with Real Madrid.

Edu Exposito (muscle) needs to beryllium assessed, meanwhile, with the midfielder substituted successful the second stages of the team's 3-0 occurrence implicit Levante past clip out.

Fernandez deed a brace successful Espanyol's archetypal lucifer of the run and volition proceed successful the last 3rd of the field, but an lack for Exposito would unfastened the doorway for Pol Lozano to travel into the side.

As for Real Madrid, Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Raul Asencio (thigh) and Ferland Mendy (hip) are not disposable for enactment owed to wounded problems.

Endrick (muscle) and Aurelien Tchouameni (muscle) person besides been near retired of the squad.

A deficiency of pre-season minutes could mean that Jude Bellingham starts connected the seat here, portion Diomande could besides beryllium among the substitutes for the archetypal whistle.

There are apt to beryllium debuts for Dumfries, Konate, Cucurella and Bernardo, portion Kylian Mbappe is acceptable to pb the Real Madrid onslaught astatine RCDE Stadium.

Espanyol imaginable starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; El-Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo; Gonzalez, Lozano; Calatrava, Hernandez, Dolan; Fernandez

Real Madrid imaginable starting lineup:

Courtois; Dumfries, Huijsen, Konate, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo; Diaz, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe

We say: Espanyol 1-3 Real Madrid

Espanyol were fantabulous against Levante, but Real Madrid are a antithetic proposition entirely, and we are expecting Los Blancos to statesman their 2026-27 run with a victory.

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