Prediction: Real Madrid win
Best Odds: 1/4
Bookmaker: 888sport
La Liga football is back once again this weekend as clubs from up and down Spain’s top tier collide. We’re edging our way into the final third of the campaign now and there’s still so much up for grabs at both ends of the table, as you’d expect. Today, we’ll be taking a look at an encounter between two classic Spanish clubs as Real Madrid go head to head with Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid
After shocking everyone to capture the European Cup and La Liga titles last season, it almost seems as if expectations aren’t quite as high for Real Madrid this time around. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are a bit behind the pace in comparison to rivals Barcelona on all fronts, although the Champions League may wind up being their saving grace. Either way, though, they’re still one of the best teams on the planet by a country mile.
Team News
Lunin, Alaba and Mendy are all out of action through injury here for Madrid.
Espanyol
After falling down into the second tier a few years back, Espanyol didn’t quite have the explosion of life they were looking for upon returning to the big time. They were certainly able to make a solid enough impact but in equal measure, they’re still not able to assert themselves as a top half team. The talent is there, but it’s more a case of waiting the right amount of time for it to blossom and develop.
Team News
Bare, Gomez, Gori and Pedrosa are injured for this one with Olivan being a fitness concern.
Factors to Consider
- In their last meeting back in August, Madrid beat Espanyol 3-1.
- Madrid have won three, drawn two and lost one of their last six games.
- Espanyol have won two, drawn one and lost three of their last six games.
- Madrid have scored 12 goals and conceded four in their last six games.
- Espanyol have scored eight goals and conceded 10 in their last six games.
Conclusion
While the visitors are certainly in the midst of a relegation battle right now, we wouldn’t say they’re one of the worst teams in the league – far from it, in fact. We do believe they have the kind of attacking intent that can cause Real problems if they actually go at them, but ultimately, we do believe they’ll leave themselves too vulnerable at the back, leading us down the path of a narrow 2-1 Madrid victory.
Prediction: Real Madrid win
Best Odds: 1/4
Bookmaker: 888sport
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