Soccer
Prediction: Real Madrid to win 2-1
Best Odds: 13/2
Espanyol and Real Madrid will lock horns with each other in La Liga this coming weekend. The match between Manolo Gonzalez’s side and Alvaro Arbeloa’s team will be held at the RCDE Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Sunday.
Espanyol
Espanyol are an established club in the Spanish top flight who aim to finish in the top half of the table. They finished 14th in the La Liga table last season and could end up in a similar spot this time around.
The Barcelona-based outfit are 14th in the La Liga table at the moment with 38 points from 32 matches. Manolo Gonzalez’s side are just four points above the relegation zone and are in real danger of going down to the Segunda Division at the end of the season.
Espanyol will take on Levante at the RCDE Stadium in La Liga on Monday evening before facing Real Madrid at home in the league on Sunday. Manolo Gonzalez’s side lost 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano away from home in La Liga last weekend, which followed a 4-0 loss at the hands of Barcelona at Camp Nou in the league.
Team News:
Espanyol are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Real Madrid. Marko Dmitrovic will be in goal for the Barcelona club. Omar El Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera and Carlos Romero will be the four defenders. Tyrhys Dolan, Pol Lozano, Edu Expósito and Pere Milla will be the four midfielders. Enrique Garcia and Roberto Fernandez will be the two centre-forwards.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are arguably the biggest club in the world and were expected to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this season. However, Los Blancos are staring at a trophyless season.
Madrid got knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich last week and are 11 points behind leaders and defending champions Barcelona in second place in the La Liga table. Alvaro Arbeloa is in charge of the Madrid first team at the moment, but there is a distinct possibility that he will not be in the role next season.
Madrid will head into the La Liga match against Espanyol this coming weekend on the back of a 1-1 draw with Real Betis away from home in the league. It came after a 2-1 victory over Alaves at Estadio Bernabeu in La Liga, which followed a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich away from home at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
Team News:
Real Madrid are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Espanyol. Andriy Lunin will be in goal for Los Blancos. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy will be the four defenders. Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Thiago Pitarch will be the four midfielders. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior will be the two centre-forwards for Alvaro Arbeloa’s team.
Key Factors to Consider
- Espanyol have scored 37 goals and conceded 49 goals in 32 La Liga matches.
- Espanyol have lost 4 of their last 4 La Liga matches.
- Kylian Mbappe has scored 24 goals and given 4 assists in 28 La Liga matches for Real Madrid so far this season.
- Real Madrid have won 3 of their last 6 La Liga matches.
- Real Madrid have scored 68 goals and conceded 31 goals in 33 La Liga matches this season.
Conclusion
Espanyol are in dire form at the moment, while Real Madrid are in better form and also have the better team. It is hard to see anything but a comfortable win for Los Blancos in this particular La Liga match.
Prediction: Real Madrid to win 2-1
Best Odds: 13/2
Read MoreJamie Jones