The Matchday 5 La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Espanyol will be held on September 20 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Madrid vs. Espanyol: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Real Madrid
After the last round, Xabi Alonso's team became the sole leaders of La Liga. They are two points ahead of their closest rival. So far, Madrid has maximum points after four matches. Real defeated Osasuna (1-0) and Mallorca (2-1) at home, and overcame Oviedo (3-0) and Real Sociedad (2-1) away. The club's winning streak in La Liga has now reached seven matches.
- Madrid's uncompromising run in the league stands at 18 matches (15 wins and 3 losses).
- Real has won six consecutive home games in La Liga.
- The team has not scored more than two goals in 6 of their last 7 home matches in La Liga.
Predicted lineup for Real Madrid (4-4-2)
Thibaut Courtois – Alvaro Carreras, Dean Heysen, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal – Brahim Diaz, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Dani Ceballos – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.
Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy will miss out due to injuries. Defender Dean Heysen is suspended for this match.
Espanyol
There are only four teams left in La Liga that have not suffered a defeat after four rounds. Among them are Manolo Gonzalez's charges. Notably, the club played three matches at home and won all three. However, away from home, the Catalans drew with Real Sociedad (2-2). In the last round, Espanyol showed resilience by securing three points against Mallorca at home, playing the entire second half with ten men (3-2). As a result, the team is in third place, trailing Barcelona on goal difference.
- The Catalans are unbeaten in five league matches (4 wins and 1 draw).
- The team has conceded in 9 of their last 11 matches in La Liga.
- The club has failed to win in five consecutive away games in La Liga (2 draws and 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Espanyol (4-4-2)
Marko Dmitrovic – Fernando Calero, Omar El Hilali, Carlos Romero, Leandro Cabrera – Pere Milla, Urko Gonzalez, Pol Lozano, Tyris Dolan – Roberto Fernandez Jaen, Javi Puado.
Midfielder Pere Milla is out due to suspension.
Prediction for Real Madrid vs. Espanyol
The capital club is accustomed to playing in multiple tournaments simultaneously, so they will be in good shape after the Champions League match. I believe Madrid will secure their fifth consecutive victory in the current La Liga season. Real plays well against Espanyol in La Liga and has won all of their last 10 encounters at the Santiago Bernabeu. In this series of head-to-head meetings, Madrid has won by two or more goals nine times.
Additionally, their La Liga statistics are noteworthy. Real has won 9 of their last 10 home matches. Meanwhile, the Catalans have not impressed on the road, securing only 3 victories in their last 21 away games (5 draws and 13 losses). It is also worth noting that Espanyol conceded at least two goals in their last three away games. With Xabi Alonso's side possessing a significantly stronger attack, I expect a confident win for the hosts, with them scoring two or more goals.
My prediction – Real Madrid with a handicap (-1.5)
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match in this tournament.
