La Liga | Gameweek 22

Feb 1, 2025 at 8pm UK

RCDE Stadium

Espanyol vs Real Madrid

Match preview

Espanyol have a record of five wins, five draws and 11 defeats from their 21 league games this term, and their 20 points leave them in 18th place, one point behind 17th-placed Alaves.

The Catalan outfit secured their return to La Liga through the Segunda Division play-offs last season, so any finish above 18th would be considered a success, but they are firmly in the relegation battle at this stage of the season.

Periquitos have only been beaten in one of their last six league games, but they have also won just once in that time, against fellow strugglers Real Valladolid.

Manolo Gonzalez's side drew 1-1 with Sevilla last time out and are unbeaten in La Liga in front of their own fans since the end of October, a record that should give them confidence going into the game.

Espanyol have lost each of their last four league meetings with Real Madrid, including a 4-1 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier this season, but the Catalan side have enjoyed success against Los Blancos at home in recent times, winning 2-1 in October 2021.

Real Madrid were in France on Wednesday night and recorded a 3-0 win over Brest in their final Champions League league match, meaning they will need to win a play-off to progress to the next round of the competition.

Carlo Ancelotti's side also beat Real Valladolid 3-0 in La Liga last weekend, taking their tally to 49 points from their 21 league games this season with a record of 15 wins, four draws and two defeats.

Los Blancos sit four points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid and seven clear of third-placed Barcelona, a healthy lead at this stage of the campaign.

Real Madrid will take a five-match winning run into this fixture, in which they have scored 20 goals, and have a busy run of fixtures ahead of them, with a Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes on 5 February.

The capital giants have the second-best away record in La Liga this season, with 22 points from 11 games and six wins, but Espanyol's recent home form could make this a tricky affair for the reigning champions.

Recent Performance

Espanyol La Liga form:DDLDWD

Real Madrid La Liga form:WDWWWW

Real Madrid form (all competitions):LWWWWW

Team News

Espanyol will once again be without Salvi Sanchez and Jose Gragera due to injury, while Brian Olivan is a big doubt after being forced off in the early stages of their last game against Sevilla.

Head coach Gonzalez is expected to name the majority of the team that took the field against Sevilla, but Carlos Romero is likely to start at left-back due to Olivan's injury.

Roberto Fernandez has joined the club on loan from Braga for the remainder of the season, and the Spaniard is expected to partner Javi Puado in the final third.

As for Real Madrid, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal remain unavailable due to long-term injuries, but there is a chance that Eduardo Camavinga could overcome a muscular problem to return to the squad.

Vinicius Junior is also back in the side after serving a further suspension for the Champions League defeat to Brest, and he will return to the left of the front three, with Rodrygo, who scored twice against Brest, moving to the right.

Raul Asencio could return at the heart of defence, with Aurelien Tchouameni moving into central midfield, while David Alaba remains out of contention after missing over a year with a serious knee injury.

Possible starting lineup

Espanyol possible starting lineup:

J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Carreras, Kral, Lozano, Tejero; Puado, Fernandez

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:

Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius