Overview
Real Madrid did not have their best form at the beginning of the season, but they have regained their rhythm with 5 consecutive victories in all competitions. Coach Xabi Alonso could clearly be pleased with his start at the Bernabeu.
In La Liga, Real won all 4 recent rounds against Osasuna, Real Oviedo, Mallorca and Real Sociedad to win all 12 points, thereby climbing to the top of the table, 2 points more than Barcelona.
Last weekend, they beat Sociedad 2-1, before opening the Champions League group stage with a 2-1 win over Marseille.
Star Kylian Mbappe continues to show great influence, scoring 6 goals in just 5 appearances this season. Since joining Real on a free transfer, the French striker has scored 50 goals in 64 appearances for the capital.
In the history of the confrontation, Real Madrid have won 117 out of 199 meetings with Espanyol, including a 4-1 victory in the first leg last season. However, the most recent encounter in February 2025 saw Espanyol surprisingly win 1-0.
Espanyol may have surprised when they beat Real Madrid in their most recent meeting, but the Catalan team have not won at the Bernabeu since April 1996. This shows the scale of the challenge they face this weekend.
However, Manolo Gonzalez and his team will enter this match with high confidence after an impressive start. They have won 10 points after 4 rounds, are third on the rankings and are only 2 points behind Real Madrid.
Espanyol opened the 2025-2026 season with a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, then drew 2-2 with Real Sociedad. Next, they overcame Osasuna and Mallorca, thereby creating a perfect warm-up.
If they win all 3 points against Real, Espanyol will temporarily rise to the top of La Liga - a great motivation for the team that was only ranked 14th last season.
Compared to Real Madrid who just had an exhausting match in the Champions League, Espanyol certainly has a physical advantage. However, this will not make a big difference as Los Blancos also played at home against Marseille in midweek.
Personnel situation
Real Madrid will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold due to a hamstring injury in the match against Marseille. Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger are also yet to return, while Dean Huijsen is suspended after a red card against Real Sociedad.
This will likely open up an opportunity for Raul Asencio to start in the center of defense. On the other hand, Endrick has returned to training and is ready to play.
Up front, Vinicius Junior could return on the left wing, Mbappe will play as a center forward, while young talent Franco Mastantuono will be deployed on the right wing.This means Rodrygo will continue to be on the bench.
The good news for Alonso is that Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga have both recovered from injuries and are expected to come off the bench this weekend.
Espanyol also suffered significant losses. Brian Olivan has suffered a calf injury, while Jose Gragera has muscle problems and is uncertain to play.
In particular, Pere Milla - who has scored 3 goals this season - will be absent due to suspension after a red card in the match against Mallorca. This is a big loss for the Catalan team's attack.
Kike Garcia, a veteran striker who just scored against Mallorca, is expected to start alongside Roberto Fernandez to fill the void.
Expected lineup:
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Asencio, Carreras, Valverde, Tchouameni, Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe.
Espanyol: Dmitrovic, El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero, Dolan, Lozano, Gonzalez de Zarate, Puado, K. Garcia, Fernandez.
The match between Real Madrid and Espanyol takes place at 9:15 p.m. on September 20 (Vietnam time).
