Espanyol vs Real Madrid – News and Probable Lineups

Real Madrid’s faint aspirations of clinching the 2025-26 La Liga title could effectively come to a close this weekend as they gear up to visit RCDE Stadium to face Espanyol.

Currently, Los Blancos occupy second position in the La Liga standings, trailing leaders Barcelona by 11 points, while Espanyol finds itself in 13th, five points away from sixth-placed Getafe, and remarkably still searching for their first win of 2026.

Match overview

Espanyol appeared to be a top-four contender in the opening segment of the season, receiving considerable accolades for their performances. However, the narrative changed drastically in 2026—a year that has yet to yield a victory for the Catalan team.

Indeed, Manolo Gonzalez’s side has not secured a win since their last match of 2025, registering six draws and losing 10 out of their 16 fixtures this year, leading to a decline in the league standings.

It might be somewhat surprising that Espanyol has only slipped to 13th, remaining just five points shy of sixth-placed Getafe, still contending for European football next season. However, their winless streak will certainly need to conclude this weekend if that goal is to be feasible.

The White and Blues will come into this match following a goalless draw against Levante, a result that came after consecutive defeats to Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano.

In their earlier encounter this season at the Bernabeu, Espanyol suffered a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid, while the corresponding match in the 2024-25 season ended with a narrow 1-0 victory for the hosts.

By the time the match kicks off, Real Madrid could find themselves 14 points behind Barcelona, and if Hansi Flick’s team manages to emerge victorious against Osasuna on Saturday, then Los Blancos must also win this match to keep their slim title hopes alive.

With the current situation, only a small miracle could enable Real Madrid to capture the title, as they have consistently been outperformed by their rivals this season, winning five games fewer in the league while Barcelona has netted 19 more goals in La Liga.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side has also faced disappointment in the Champions League this season, exiting in the quarter-finals at the hands of Bayern Munich, marking a likely disappointing end to the season for the capital club, who will travel to Barcelona for El Clasico next weekend.

Real Madrid comes into this match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Real Betis, and they have managed to win just once in their last six competitive matches.

The last time Los Blancos secured an away victory in the league was at the beginning of March, and a significant summer lies ahead for the club, which must appoint a new head coach and address various gaps in their squad.

Spanish La Liga form:

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Real Madrid La Liga form:

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Real Madrid form (all competitions):

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Team News

Espanyol will not have Pol Lozano available for this match, as the midfielder was sent off during the dying moments of the team’s scoreless draw with Levante in their previous outing.

Javi Puado remains a long-term absentee due to a significant knee injury; however, the home team is otherwise in good form as they prepare to host Real Madrid on Sunday.

Among those who did not start against Levante, Roberto Fernandez is likely to be brought into the starting XI, with expectations that Kike Garcia will be favored to lead the attack, while the former may play a role off the bench.

On the other hand, Real Madrid will be without Rodrygo, Eder Militao, and Arda Guler for the remainder of the season due to injuries, and Kylian Mbappe is sidelined for at least this match.

Thibaut Courtois is also expected to miss out, despite making good progress in recovering from a thigh injury, with his return anticipated for El Clasico.

Aurelien Tchouameni remains a doubt due to a calf problem and may be rested, potentially opening the door for Eduardo Camavinga to be included in the starting XI.

Gonzalo Garcia may see increased involvement due to Mbappe’s absence, while Brahim Diaz is likely to keep his place for the encounter at RCDE Stadium.

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Exposito; Ngonge, Terrats, Milla; K Garcia

Real Madrid probable starting XI:

Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Mendy; Valverde, Bellingham, Camavinga; Diaz, G Garcia, Vinicius

Espanyol’s performances this year have been poor, and we anticipate Real Madrid to capitalize on this to prevent Barcelona from being crowned champions this weekend.