Real Madrid have started the new season in impressive form, and Los Blancos will look to build on it with a win away from home against Espanyol.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have managed to pick up two consecutive wins in their first two league games, and they will fancy their chances of making it three in a row against Espanyol on Sunday night. Real Madrid managed to win the league title last season, and they are certainly one of the favourites to do so again this year.
Despite the loss of a key player in Casemiro, Ancelotti has enough depth and quality at his disposal to have a successful season. The likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior have been in red-hot form over the past year, and they will be hoping to put the Espanyol defence to the sword this weekend.
Furthermore, the Spanish giants will be boosted with the return of key players Toni Kroos and Rodrygo Goes. Both players were doubts with injuries, but it seems that they are have recovered from their respective knocks and are in the squad for Sunday’s game.
Ancelotti provided a fitness during his pre-match press conference, saying, “Kroos has recovered well and has been training since the start of the week, as has Rodrygo. We’ve got Nacho, Vallejo and Odriozola out. We’re in good shape, we’re well prepared. We lost this fixture last year, Espanyol is a team that fights hard. It’s a game where we’ll need to be at our best to win.”
Espanyol vs Real Madrid Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Real Madrid come into this game on the back of a 4-1 win over Celta Vigo, and Los Blancos will be full of confidence. There is no reason why they cannot keep the momentum going with another comfortable win this weekend.
Two changes are expected to the side be picked up a comfortable win away to Celta Vigo last time out. Eder Militao is expected to make way for Rudiger and Eduardo Camavinga is likely to be replaced by the returning German international Kroos. Summer signing Rudiger is set to pair up with David Alaba at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, with Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy flanking them as the full-backs.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will start in the midfield, with summer arrival Aurelien Tchouameni filling in as the long-term replacement for Casemiro, who departed for Manchester United earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior should lead the Real Madrid attack, with Federico Valverde providing support in the final third. Meanwhile, the fit-again Rodrygo should be an option off the bench for Real Madrid against Espanyol on Sunday night.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Kroos, Tchouameni; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
