La Liga table-toppers Real Madrid will look to continue their winning streak when they host Espanyol on Saturday.
Espanyol have enjoyed a promising start to the new season as they are third on the points table, but they now have a massive challenge ahead as they will go up against Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid, who are the only team with a 100 per cent record in La Liga.
The team in white have won all five of their fixtures this season. They are top of La Liga with four wins in as many outings. While the Merengues have not been at their best, Alonso’s team have still managed to get the desired result.
Despite going down to ten men, they secured a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in their last league outing. Meanwhile, they created a lot of chances against Marseille in the UEFA Champions League last time out, but failed to convert the majority of those chances. They were lucky to have come out on top courtesy of two penalties.
Alonso will hope his team puts up a much better performance against the in-form Espanyol, who have three wins and a draw in their first four league outings. They started the season with a sensational win over Atletico Madrid.
While Espanyol dropped points against Real Sociedad, they have won their last two league outings against Osasuna and RCD Mallorca. The visitors had established a 2-0 lead early in the first half, but a red card to Pere Milla gave Mallorca an opportunity to bounce back. Eventually, Kike Garcia slotted home a penalty to help them win 3-2.
Espanyol will have to put in a much-improved performance to stand a chance against Real Madrid. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso’s team suffered a massive blow in their last outing as Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up a hamstring injury, which could see him spend around eight weeks on the sidelines. He joins Endrick, Ferland Mendy, and Antonio Rudiger on the treatment table.
While Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are back fit, they are unlikely to start here. Dean Huijsen is suspended following a red card in their last league outing, while Dani Carvajal is available despite being sent off in the UEFA Champions League fixture against Marseille.
The team in white will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Carreras will feature as the full-backs, while David Alaba could come into the XI to partner with Eder Militao at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will feature in the holding role in the middle of the park, while Arda Guler and Federico Valverde will be in his support. The trio will look to dictate the pace and dominate the proceedings.
Franco Mastantuono should continue to start on the right flank, while Vinicius Junior should return to the starting XI to take charge on the left. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against RCD Espanyol.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
RCD Espanyol
The visitors will be without the services of Brian Olivan because of a calf injury. Meanwhile, Jose Gragera is a major doubt because of a muscular issue. Pere Milla is suspended for this fixture following a red card in their last outing.
Against Real Madrid, Espanyol will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Marko Dmitrovic will be in goal. Omar El Hilali and Carlos Romero will feature as the full-backs, while Fernando Calero will partner with Leandro Cabrera in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Tyrhys Dolan and Javi Puado will feature out wide on the flanks. They will look to support the full-backs and will also try to provide width to their attacks. Pol Lozano and Urko Gonzalez de Zarate will feature in a much more central role, trying to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.
In the final third, Kike Garcia will partner with Roberto Fernandez. The duo will look to cause problems for the Real Madrid backline, who certainly have a few issues of their own.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Dolan, Lozano, Gonzalez de Zarate, Puado; K Garcia, Fernandez
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are the only team with a 100 per cent record in La Liga. They will be eyeing a fifth straight win on Saturday.
- Over the years, Los Blancos have won 117 out of their 199 matches against Espanyol.
- The home team won the corresponding game last season 4-1.
- But the last meeting between the two teams that took place earlier in the year resulted in a 1-0 win for Espanyol.
- However, the Catalan giants have not won at the Bernabeu since April 1996.
Player to Watch
Franco Mastantuono
The 18-year-old Argentine prodigy has made an impressive start to his Real Madrid career. He has featured in four of their five matches, amassing 214 minutes of first-team action. While the youngster is yet to register a goal or an assist, Mastantuono has been a constant menace for opposition defences.
His pace, dribbling, and willingness to take on defenders have caused plenty of problems for opponents. He has already come close to opening his account on multiple occasions, and it would not be a surprise if he finds the back of the net against Espanyol.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Espanyol
Real Madrid might not have been at their fluent best in recent games, but with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and the emerging Franco Mastantuono in the final third, they should have enough firepower to see off Espanyol. Playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, Xabi Alonso’s men will look to impose themselves early and extend their perfect start to the league season.
Espanyol, meanwhile, have shown they can cause problems for big teams, but missing Pere Milla and potentially Jose Gragera weakens their chances of pulling off an upset. While they may find a way to trouble Real Madrid on the counter, sustaining pressure over 90 minutes against a star-studded side will be a tall order. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
