4 Real Madrid vs 1 Espanyol
Real Madrid back in La Liga against Espanyol after UCL win.
After a resounding Champions League triumph over Stuttgart, Real Madrid return to La Liga action against Espanyol on Saturday, aiming for a third consecutive domestic victory and eyeing the chance to equal Real Sociedad's 38-game unbeaten league streak.
Real Madrid
A comfortable 3-1 win over Stuttgart in their opening fixture of the UEFA Champions League left Madrid as one of the 15 sides to pick up three points in the inaugural league phase of the revamped competition.
A debut goal from Kylian Mbappé [46’] and Endrick [90’+5], coupled with another from Antonio Rüdiger [83'], earned Madrid the win on UCL Match Day 1.
The current champions will swing their attention to domestic duties this weekend when they welcome Espanyol to the capital, as they continue to play catch-up with league leaders Barcelona, who are four points ahead.
Madrid remains 3rd, having 11 points [3W, 2D, 0L], just as many points as 2nd-placed Atletico Madrid and 4th-placed Villarreal before Saturday’s fixture.
Having won their last nine home games against the visitors, picking up three domestic wins in a row remains the prime objective following last weekend’s 2-0 win over Real Sociedad.
In addition, the Whites would be keen on equalling Real Sociedad’s record of 38 games unbeaten in La Liga, having remained so in the last 37 games [27W, 10D, 0L].
‘I want to see a Madrid that continues to improve and progress. We are entering a good dynamic; we have won the last few games, and we want to continue like this,’ Carlo Ancelotti said in a pre-match press conference.
Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior, and Mbappé are expected to start in attack once again when Ancelotti lays out his 4-3-3. Brahim Díaz, Camavinga, and David Alaba are all ruled out, while Jude Bellingham could be back in the starting lineup.
Espanyol
A Javi Puado hat-trick (22’, 56’, 63’ P.) helped Espanyol to a 3-2 win over Alaves last weekend, giving them back-to-back victories and marking their second win of the season (LLDWW). This win kept Espanyol in 12th place, with 7 points on the board.
Two wins in five La Liga games match the number they claimed in their previous 18 fixtures (2W, 5D, 11L). While they are keen to extend their winning run to three games in a row, Espanyol are without a win in their last 26 away games against Real Madrid (0W, 3D, 23L).
Playing in a 3—5—2 formation, with Alejo Véliz and last weekend’s hero Javi Puado in attack, Espanyol will hope to end their 26-game winless run away to Madrid on Saturday. Espanyol will be without Edu Expósito, while Fernando Calero’s availability remains in doubt.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.