The Matchday 22 La Liga clash between Espanyol and Real Madrid will take place on February 1 at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium in Barcelona. Espanyol vs. Real Madrid: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Espanyol
The Catalans drew 1-1 away against Sevilla in the last round. This was their third consecutive unbeaten match in the league: previously, they drew 1-1 at home against Leganes and defeated Valladolid 2-1. Notably, this season Espanyol has only twice had a three-match unbeaten streak in La Liga. Manolo Gonzalez's side remains in the relegation zone, but they are just one point away from safety in 17th place.
- No more than three goals have been scored in the club's last seven league matches.
- Espanyol has suffered just one defeat in their last six La Liga encounters (1 win and 4 draws).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final score of 9 of Espanyol's last 10 La Liga games.
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti's team approaches the upcoming match with a four-game winning streak in the league. In the last two La Liga matches, they secured big wins against Las Palmas (4-1) and Valladolid (3-0). Overall, Real Madrid is unbeaten in their last six La Liga matches (5 wins and 1 draw). Following this successful run, Real has overtaken Atletico Madrid by 4 points and extended their lead over Barcelona by 7 points.
- The club has scored at least three goals in 5 of their last 6 league matches.
- Three or more goals have been scored in Real Madrid's last seven La Liga games.
- In 9 of Real Madrid's last 9 away La Liga matches, two or more goals were scored in the second half.
Predicted lineups for Espanyol vs. Real Madrid
Espanyol (4-4-2): Joan Garcia – Omar El Hilali, Leandro Cabrera, Brian Olivan, Marash Kumbulla – Pol Lozano, Jofre Carreras, Alex Kral, Alvaro Tejero – Javi Puado, Roberto Fernandez Jaen.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois – Aurelien Tchouameni, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia, Antonio Rudiger – Federico Valverde, Dani Ceballos – Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes – Kylian Mbappe.
The starting lineup for each team reflects their previous match in this tournament.
Espanyol vs. Real Madrid: Match Prediction
The Catalans rarely manage to take points from Madrid. In the last 19 encounters in the league, Espanyol has only won twice, with Real Madrid emerging victorious in the other 17 matches. These encounters have been high-scoring, with at least two goals scored in 16 of the last 19 La Liga meetings.
This season, Espanyol has played four matches against top-four La Liga clubs, suffering three defeats and drawing once. Real Madrid, in the current La Liga season, has played 12 matches against teams in the lower half of the table, winning 11 and drawing once. In all these matches, two or more goals were scored, with Real Madrid scoring at least two goals in 11 of them. I am confident that the visitors will prevail in Catalonia, with two or more goals scored.
My prediction: Real Madrid to win and total over 1.5 goals