Fresh off securing a Champions League playoff spot, La Liga Champions Real Madrid head to relegation-threatened Espanyol, aiming to extend their lead at the top. Los Blancos are playing with confidence at the moment and should have too much quality for the troubled hosts.
Espanyol have struggled recently, managing just one win in their last eight matches in all competitions with four draws and three losses. Defensive issues persist, as they have kept just one clean sheet in their last ten outings.
The Catalan club have fared slightly better at home and are unbeaten in their last five La Liga matches at the RCDE Stadium. Manolo Gonzalez’s men will hope to use that home form as a springboard in their battle against the drop as they sit one point from safety.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been in top form winning eight of their last nine games in all competitions, with their only defeat coming against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have picked up successive 3-0 victories in their last two matches, beating Real Valladolid in La Liga and Brest in the Champions League.
Los Blancos have been prolific in front of goal, scoring 31 times in nine matches this year. They have however conceded in each of their last three home fixtures in all competitions. Their high-scoring tendencies and defensive problems have seen all three matches produce over 3.5 goals.
How the bookies view it: Bookies favour Madrid
Real Madrid are favoured to win at 3/10 by Boylesports. A victory for Espanyol is priced at 7/1 by Boylesports who have also valued a full-time draw at 4/1.
Head to head: Dominant Madrid
This is a fixture that has been heavily dominated by Real Madrid with eight wins from the last 10 meetings. Los Blancos also won 4-1 at home in the reverse fixture back in September with Kylian Mbappe among the goals.
Players to watch: Mbappe on fire
Mbappe has enjoyed a solid debut season for Real Madrid, netting 15 league goals so far. The French forward has been on target eight times in his last six games in all competitions and is priced at 5/6 by BoyleSports to maintain his scoring run.
Javi Puado leads Espanyol's scoring charts in La Liga, netting seven of their 20 league goals this season. BoyleSports are offering odds of 7/2 on the forward to score anytime.
Probable line-ups
Espanyol could be without a few key players for Real Madrid’s visit to the RCDE Stadium. Midfielder José Gragera is doubtful due to illness while full-back Brian Oliván is also dealing with an injury concern.
David Alaba and Vinícius Júnior return to the squad after injury and suspension, boosting Real Madrid’s squad depth for the crucial months ahead. However, Eduardo Camavinga remains uncertain for this clash due to a hamstring issue.
Espanyol: Garcia, El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Gomez, Carreras, Kral, Lozano, Tejero, Puado, Veliz
Real Madrid: Courtois, Asencio, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Garcia, Ceballos, Valverde, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe
Anything else catch the eye?
Espanyol and Real Madrid have both seen goals at both ends in four of their last five league meetings. Given their recent defensive struggles, both teams can be backed to score at 10/11 with BoyleSports.
Real Madrid often win comfortably against Espanyol but tend to concede, so a win and both teams to score can be considered at 9/4 by BoyleSports. The last three clashes between these sides have all seen over 3.5 goals and a repeat is valued at 6/4 on BoyleSports.
This La Liga match between Espanyol and Real Madrid will be played on Feb 1, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Espanyol vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
