Espanyol vs Real Madrid — Tips & Analysis

Real Madrid -0.75: Real Madrid own this game. They have won 17 of the last 20 meetings with Espanyol, who have taken only 3 wins in that run. Madrid score 2 goals a game and won 9 of their last 15. They won by 2 or more goals in 5 of those 15, so big wins are normal for them. Espanyol are no soft touch. They have been hard to score against on their own ground, letting in under a goal a game across 7 home games. They opened the season by beating Levante 3-0 and sit 2nd in the table. Their last 14 games read 3 wins, 5 ties and 6 losses, so the gap in class is still large. Madrid have problems to solve. Eder Militao, F. Mendy, R. Asencio and Rodrygo are all out, Endrick is a doubt, and this is their first competitive game in 91 days. These meetings tend to be busy, averaging just over 3 goals, and Espanyol should get on the scoresheet. A 1-2 to Madrid is the read. The caution is clear. A rusty Madrid side missing four players can be held to a narrow win at a ground where goals are scarce. We still expect the better team to take care of it.