Real Madrid vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Espanyol go head-to-head at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday afternoon in what promises to be an intriguing La Liga encounter.

Both sides will be looking to maintain their strong starts to the season. Los Blancos sit at the top of the table with a perfect record of four wins from four matches.

Real Madrid vs Espanyol – Match Preview and Team News

Real Madrid Team News

Real Madrid face significant defensive concerns ahead of Saturday’s clash. Dean Huijsen will miss the match through suspension following his red card against Real Sociedad last weekend.

The situation is further complicated by the injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who suffered a hamstring problem in the Champions League victory over Marseille. He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Antonio Rüdiger remains out with a muscle injury and won’t return until late September, while Ferland Mendy also has a muscle problem. However, there is positive news regarding Jude Bellingham. The midfielder expected to return ahead of schedule from his injury, with reports suggesting he could be available by late September rather than the initially predicted October timeframe.

Kylian Mbappé continues his excellent form, having scored in all of his last four consecutive appearances for club and country. The French superstar will lead the line as Real Madrid look to extend their perfect start to the season.

Espanyol Team News

The visitors will travel to the capital without key striker Pere Milla, who is suspended following his red card in the recent victory over Mallorca. The 32-year-old has been in excellent form this season, already finding the back of the net three times in the opening matches.

Javi Hernández remains sidelined with an injury problem, but otherwise, Manolo González’s squad is in strong shape. Captain Javi Puado will be crucial to their attacking threat.

Form

Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso’s side have enjoyed a flawless start to the 2025/26 campaign. Los Blancos opened with a narrow 1-0 victory over Osasuna courtesy of a Mbappé penalty, followed by a commanding 3-0 away win at newly promoted Oviedo.

They then secured a 2-1 triumph against Mallorca before the international break and most recently claimed a hard-fought 2-1 success away at Real Sociedad despite playing the majority of the second half with ten men.

The defending champions have scored eight goals while conceding just two.

Espanyol

The Catalan outfit have been impressive in La Liga. They began their campaign with a surprising 2-1 home victory over Atlético Madrid, and they also won by 1-0 against Osasuna. Their only dropped points came in a 2-2 away draw at Real Sociedad, where they squandered a two-goal lead.

Most recently, they demonstrated tremendous character to defeat Mallorca 3-2 at home despite playing the entire second half with ten men. With 10 points from four matches, Espanyol currently sit third in the table, matching Barcelona’s tally and trailing only Real Madrid.

Predicted Lineups

Real Madrid: Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Carreras; Fede Valverde, Tchouameni; Brahim, Guler, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe

Espanyol: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero; Dolan, Urko Gonzalez de Zarate, Pol Lozano, Javi Puado; Ramon Terrats; Roberto Fernandez

How to Watch Real Madrid vs Espanyol?

Real Madrid vs Espanyol will be broadcast live in the UK on Premier Sports 1, available on Sky Channel 412 and Virgin Media Channel 551.

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