Real Madrid vs Espanyol

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu forms the backdrop for a lopsided La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Espanyol.

Real Madrid’s bid to defend the league title hangs by a thread as they’re looking to become the first-ever side to overhaul a nine-point deficit on La Liga pacesetters after 24 matchdays. Carlo Ancelotti’s men could only manage a tepid 0-0 draw at Real Betis last weekend, extending their unbeaten league run to four games (W2, D2). Keen to return to winning ways, ‘Los Merengues’ will draw confidence from having won 15 of their last 17 top-flight meetings with Espanyol (D2), including a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture in August. They’ve been ruthless against this opposition at home, winning eight consecutive La Liga H2Hs in the capital since a 2-2 draw in 2012, including the last seven without conceding. Since seven of those eight triumphs came by a multi-goal margin, this could be a perfect chance for Madrid to launch a new winning streak.

On the other hand, an underwhelming 2-1 defeat at Real Valladolid last weekend knocked visiting Espanyol down from a two-game winning run in La Liga, leaving them only two points clear of the relegation zone at the start of this round. A lack of consistency has seen ‘Los Periquitos’ alternate between losing (2) and winning (2) across their four league travels in 2023, with three of those four matches (won/lost) yielding a single-goal margin. Even though the Bernabeu has been an unbreachable fortress for the Catalan side, they can find some comfort in having gone unbeaten on their last two top-flight visits to the capital city (W1, D1). They could avoid defeat in three successive La Liga away encounters against Madrid clubs for the first time since 2014.