Overview
Espanyol had a favorable start when they defeated Levante 3-0 in the opening match of La Liga, in which Roberto Fernandez scored a double. The Catalan team will continue to face a big challenge when facing Real Madrid.
Espanyol finished last season in 11th place. They had an impressive start to the season, but the subsequent decline in form prevented this team from maintaining a high position in the league table. In the summer of 2026, Espanyol made many changes by bringing in 5 new players and leaving 10 players.
In two encounters with Real Madrid in La Liga last season, Espanyol both suffered defeats with the same score of 0-2. However, the Catalan team once created a surprise when defeating Los Blancos 1-0 at the RCDE stadium in February 2025.
After 201 encounters with Real Madrid, Espanyol has won 46 matches and suffered 119 defeats. History clearly leans towards the Royal Spanish team, but the mental advantage from the victory over Levante can help Espanyol become more confident.
Real Madrid will not play in the opening round of La Liga because some players have just participated in the 2026 World Cup. Their first match in the tournament with Real Sociedad is postponed to August 26. Therefore, the confrontation with Espanyol will be an opportunity for Jose Mourinho's team to make their debut for the new season.
Real Madrid aims to regain the La Liga title after Barcelona won the championship in the last two seasons. The Royal team has had an active preparation process with 5 friendly matches. They have won 4 and have a 3-match winning streak against Ferencvaros, Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke 04.
Real Madrid's squad has also been supplemented with many more factors this summer. Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva are notable new signings. In addition, Vinicius Junior has signed a new contract after being linked with Arsenal.
With reinforced forces and the goal of regaining the throne, Real Madrid has many grounds to aim for victory. However, Espanyol will not easily accept defeat.
Personnel situation
Espanyol will not have the services of Kike Garcia, Javi Puado and Leandro Cabrera in the match against Real Madrid. Kike Garcia is being treated for a hamstring injury, Puado has a knee problem, while Cabrera is sidelined due to suspension.
Edu Exposito is also not sure to be able to participate. This midfielder was substituted in the final minutes of Espanyol's 3-0 win over Levante. If Exposito cannot play, Pol Lozano is likely to be given a chance.
Real Madrid also faces many personnel problems. Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy are all unable to play due to injuries. Endrick and Aurelien Tchouameni are also sidelined due to muscle-related problems.
Jude Bellingham may not start yet due to lack of playing time in the pre-season period. Newcomer Yan Diomande is also likely to start the match on the bench.
Expected lineup:
Espanyol: Dmitrovic, El-Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo, Gonzalez, Lozano, Calatrava, Hernandez, Dolan, Fernandez.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Dumfries, Huijsen, Konate, Cucurella, Valverde, Bernardo, Diaz, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe.
The match between Espanyol and Real Madrid takes place at 2:30 a.m. on August 23 (Vietnam time).
