Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Match Preview – Sept. 22, 2024

Actual Madrid will look to increase its La Liga unbeaten streak to 38 video games because the reigning Spanish champions tackle Espanyol on the Santiago Bernabéu.

Actual Madrid’s return to home motion comes simply 4 days after a late-game comeback in opposition to Stuttgart in its Champions League opening fixture. Los Blancos collected all three factors in a 3–1victory due to objectives from Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick.

Now, Actual Madrid should flip its consideration again to La Liga the place Ancelotti’s males already path Barcelona by 4 factors after 5 fixtures. Hansi Flick has the Catalans off to an ideal begin in his first season in cost whereas Actual Madrid stumbled in early matches in opposition to Mallorca and Las Palmas.

The 36-time La Liga champions discovered victories in all their September matches to date, although, regardless of an damage disaster that left Federico Valverde compelled to play in a double pivot alongside Luka Modric final weekend. The return of Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni in opposition to Stuttgart gave Actual Madrid a much-needed enhance forward of a busy schedule that includes six matches over the subsequent three weeks.

Earlier than Los Blancos can sit up for the Madrid derby or their subsequent Champions League match, they have to get previous Espanyol on Saturday. Manolo Gonzalez’s facet produced a formidable scoreless draw with Atletico Madrid after which went on to defeat Rayo Vallecano and Alaves.

Though the hosts nonetheless enter the fixture because the heavy favorites, Actual Madrid has struggled to attain from open play in opposition to a low block; 4 of Los Blancos’ 9 La Liga objectives this season have come from the spot. Plus, Ancelotti will seemingly rotate his beginning XI to offer just lately returned gamers like Bellingham and Tchouaméni a relaxation to keep away from overload. The Frenchman, particularly, was reportedly nonetheless coping with discomfort in his foot through the mid-week UCL fixture.

Luka Modrić and Arda Güler might get the nod as Ancelotti works to maintain his squad match and contemporary only one week out from Actual Madrid’s conflict with Atletico Madrid.

Actual Madrid’s predicted lineup vs Espanyol: Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde,
Modrić, Güler; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinícius

If Ancelotti actually needs to rotate his XI, then Endrick, Fran García and Lucas Vázquez might additionally log important minutes in opposition to Espanyol.

Actual Madrid vs Espanyol kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. ET.