Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are all set to host Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu in the next round of matches in La Liga.
Real Madrid have not had the best of starts to the new season as they have dropped points in two out of their first three matches but having won the last two league outings, they will be looking to make it three in a row when they host Espanyol on Saturday.
Los Blancos have been unbeaten in the new season. However, the reigning La Liga champions are currently third in the league with 11 points in five league outings thanks to the two draws in the initial games.
The Merengues have won their last three outings in all competitions, and they will look to carry on in a similar fashion at home. While they will be without quite a few of their important players, Los Blancos still have a squad capable enough to beat any team on their day.
Espanyol had a slow start to the season as they lost their first two outings. They secured their first win of the season on Matchday four and went on to add another three points last time out against Deportivo Alaves.
While the game against Real Madrid won’t be easy by any means, Espanyol will be hoping to make it three wins in a row and extend their unbeaten run to four. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and predicts the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Brahim Diaz, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Eduardo Camavinga. The team in white are expected to stick to the 4-3-3 formation, with Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois in goal.
There will be a few changes to the back four that started in the UEFA Champions League game. Dani Carvajal will return to his preferred right-back position from the start, and Eder Militao will be back in the starting XI. Antonio Rudiger will be his partner, while Ferland Mendy will continue out wide on the left.
Federico Valverde will feature alongside Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park. While Real Madrid did beat VfB Stuttgart without much difficulty, the trio were not able to control the tempo for most parts, and they will surely work on it in this fixture.
Ancelotti will stick to the front three of Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. The French international will be the number nine, and the Brazilian duo will take charge on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Espanyol
Fernando Calero and Edu Exposito remain on the sidelines for the away team. But the good news is Espanyol do not have any fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid.
Manolo Gonzalez will most likely stick to the exact starting eleven that started in their last outing against Deportivo Alaves. It will be a 4-4-2 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal.
Omar El Hilali and Carlos Romero will feature as the full-backs for the away team, while Marash Kumbulla will feature in the heart of the defence alongside Leandro Cabrera.
Alvaro Tejero and Jofre Carreras will feature out wide on the flanks. They will provide width to their attacks and also look to support the full-backs. In the centre of the park, Alex Kral will start alongside Álvaro Aguado. The duo will have a lot of defensive duties against Los Blancos.
In attack, Alejo Veliz, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, will start alongside Javi Puado, who bagged a hat-trick in their last outing.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Joan Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Tejero, Kral, Aguado, Carreras; Puado, Veliz
Key Stats
- Both teams have faced each other on 192 occasions, with Real Madrid winning 115 times, while Espanyol only have 43 wins to their name.
- The last time the two teams faced each other was during the 2022/23 season. Real Madrid won both home and away with a scoreline of 3-1.
- Los Blancos have never lost to Espanyol at home in the 21st century.
- The visitors have only won two out of their last 31 meetings against the European giants.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team are on a 37-match unbeaten run in La Liga.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham had a phenomenal start to the season last time out. But, things have not been that great for him this time around as he struggled with an injury. The Englishman made a comeback in their UEFA Champions League fixture earlier this week and will be eager to get back to his best when he starts against Espanyol. Bellingham is yet to score this season and will surely look to make a big impact in this league fixture at home.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-0 Espanyol
Real Madrid might have had a slow start to the season, but they have picked things up in the recent fixture, and they are expected to be the dominant force in this outing. Espanyol have won each of their last two outings and they will be confident about their chances but are unlikely to trouble the team in white. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.