Real Madrid will travel to Catalonia this Sunday to face Espanyol in their third fixture of the 2022/23 La Liga season.
Venue: RCDE Stadium (Cornella de Llobregat)
Key Statistics
Espanyol are winless in their last nine league matches (D4, L5).
They have conceded 2+ goals in ten of their last 20 league games.
The hosts haven’t led at half-time of any of their last 11 LL matches (HT: D6, L5).
Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last five league matches (W3, D2).
They haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven league away games though (W5, D1, L1)
Real Madrid have won 14 of their last 20 league matches.
They have scored 2+ goals in 13 of their last 20 league games.
They have kept nine clean sheets in their last 20 league matches.
Head to head
Real Madrid have won eight of the last ten head-to-head meetings between both sides, losing twice.
Latest performances in all competitions
Espanyol: L-D-D-L-L
Real Madrid: W-W-W-W-D
Espanyol
Espanyol will look to end a woeful run of form when they welcome familiar enemies Real Madrid to RCDE Stadium this Sunday.
The hosts have opened their league campaign with one loss and one draw. But their poor form stretches back to last season when they won just one of their last nine league games (L5, D4).
And so their 2-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano last weekend made it nine La Liga matches since their last victory (D4, L5 since) and they now must be wondering when their luck will turn, especially after they hit the woodwork twice late on in that latest setback.
This fixture could be the luck they need though given that they have won two of their last four games against Real Madrid in this venue including a 2-1 success last term.
Possible Espanyol starting line-up
Benjamin Lecomte, Oscar Gil, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Brian Olivan, Edu Exposito, Vinicius Souza, Sergi Darder, Keidi Bare, Joselu, Nico Melamed
Injured: None
Doubtful: Pol Lozano, Raul de Tomas, Adria Pedrosa
Suspended: Sergi Gomez
Real Madrid
Fresh from receiving a clean sweep of awards at the UEFA Awards night Real Madrid will look to extend their perfect start to the La Liga season a game more when they travel to Catalonia on Sunday.
The La Liga defending champions have recorded two wins in their two league games this season. Their last outing was a 4-1 win over Celta Vigo and it extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games.
However, the result also extended their wait for a clean sheet away from home to seven games with their defence looking like the only chink in their otherwise impressive armour.
But they will travel to RCDE Stadium confident of recording a win given that they won each of their last four games played outside of the Santiago Bernabeu.
Possible Real Madrid starting line-up
Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior
Injured: Toni Kroos
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Espanyol 1-3 Real Madrid
