Espanyol are the next club in line looking to hand Real Madrid their first loss of the 2025–26 season.
Real Madrid come into the fixture as La Liga leaders through four matches in Xabi Alonso’s debut campaign in charge. The Spanish giants have secured victories against Osasuna, Real Oviedo, Mallorca and Real Sociedad to remain the only team with 12 points out of a possible 12.
Yet Espanyol are not far behind Los Blancos in the standings. The Catalans are unbeaten so far this season, with impressive wins against Atlético Madrid and Mallorca to claim third place. Manolo González’s men will hope to keep up their fine form against Real Madrid.
The hosts will not be lacking in confidence, though, considering Espanyol’s last victory at the Santiago Bernabéu came 29 years ago in 1996.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the game.
What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Kick-Off?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 20
- Kick-off Time: 3:15 p.m. BST / 10:15 a.m. ET / 7:15 a.m. PT
- Referee: Juan Martinez
Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Head-to-Head Record
- Real Madrid: 4 wins
- Espanyol: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last Meeting: Espanyol 1–0 Real Madrid (Feb. 1, 2025) - La Liga
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Espanyol on TV
Real Madrid Team News
Like so many other times last season, Real Madrid are shorthanded at the back. Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy in the infirmary after injuring his hamstring against Marseille on Tuesday night.
Dean Huijsen is also ruled out of the clash after being sent off last weekend at Reale Arena. Real Madrid’s attempts to appeal the controversial red card were rejected, paving the way for Raúl Asencio or Aurélien Tchouaméni to get the nod alongside Éder Militão.
Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are also in contention to log their first minutes of the season, though they are not expected to start after such lengthy injury spells.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Espanyol
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Espanyol (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Asencio, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Mastantuono, Güler, Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé.
Espanyol Team News
Espanyol will be without Pere Milla when they travel to the Spanish capital. The striker must serve his suspension for the red card he received last weekend against Mallorca.
Losing the 32-year-old is a huge blow to the Catalans; Milla found the back of the net in three of Espanyol’s first four matches this season. The pressure will be on Kike García to fill in up top alongside Roberto Fernández.
José Gragera is also out of the clash with a long-term muscle injury, as is Brian Oliván, who is still dealing with the same problem calf that has kept him sidelined since March.
Espanyol Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid
Espanyol predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-4-2): Dmitrović; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Dolan, Lozano, González de Zárate, Puado; K. García, Fernández.
Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Score Prediction
Espanyol might have exceeded expectations so far this season, but getting past Real Madrid is a different type of challenge. With Kylian Mbappé in elite goalscoring form, Alonso’s team has the edge over just about any opponent in Spain.
Though it’s hard to imagine Los Blancos keeping a clean sheet without Huijsen on the pitch, especially against the Catalan side that has eight goals in its opening four matches. Still, the absence of Milla will ultimately be too much for Espanyol to overcome at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2–1 Espanyol
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid vs. Espanyol: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.