| Odds via 22bet | |
| Espanyol vs Real Madrid | Saturday, February 1, 2025, 20:00 GMT+1 |
| Espanyol odds | 9.6 |
| Real Madrid odds | 1.30 |
| Draw | 5.45 |
| Over\Under | Total 2.5: 1.63/2.27 |
Espanyol are among the many La Liga teams struggling with their budget. Strict Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules introduced after the pandemic have forced clubs to limit their spending. While his academy will likely have to sell players by next summer, coach Manolo González admitted that their monetary limitations will make signings difficult.
After being promoted to La Liga this season, Espanyol are now battling to beat the drop. They sit 18th in the table with just 20 points from 21 matches. With a -13 goal difference, only Valencia and Real Valladolid have been more goal-shy.
Despite these challenges, Manolo González has accredited the academy with providing much-needed support. Goalkeeper Joan García has emerged as a key player in Espanyol’s hopes for survival. The club turned down a €20 million bid for their custodian between the sticks.
Against Sevilla, he made several key saves. González was quick to praise him, stating that he’d made some great interventions’. The coach also expressed his gratitude for being able to field academy graduates, with five homegrown talents featuring against Sevilla.
Brian Oliván left the pitch injured in the first half against Sevilla and is expected to be out for the next two to three weeks. Irvin Cardóna and José Gragera remain sidelined and are awaiting medical clearance.
Espanyol predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-4-2): García; Romero, Cabrera, Kumbulla, El Hilali;, Tejero, Lozano, Král, Carreras; Puado, Roberto Fernández.
Real Madrid secured qualification to the next round of the Champions League after a 0-3 victory agains Brest, in which Bellingham scored a goal and Rodrygo a brace.
Despite reclaiming the top spot in La Liga, Real Madrid remain frustrated with refereeing decisions in Spain. RFEF president Rafael Louzán stated in an interview with Josep Pedrerol that Florentino Pérez told him, ‘You have to resolve the referee situation because Madrid lost titles because of them’.
Louzán also revealed that Pérez referenced the controversial Negreira case, which involves allegations of match-fixing against Barcelona.
Following their 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in Riyadh, Real Madrid responded by scoring at least three goals in each of their last four games. In their most recent La Liga game, a 3-0 victory against Real Valladolid, Kylian Mbappé scored an exceptional hat-trick.
Many of the fans who were critical of his performances until November have recognised their error. The Frenchman is now competing for the Pichichi trophy with Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Espanyol (4-2-3-1): Courtois; García, Rüdiger, Tchouaméni, Asensio; Valverde, Ceballos; Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo; Mbappé.
Bet hereAlthough Espanyol have improved in recent weeks, it would be a surprise if they managed to upset Real Madrid at home. The latter seem unstoppable at the moment, having last been defeated in La Liga by Athletic Club in early December.
However, the visitors struggle against teams that press high and play attacking football. Considering that Espanyol rely on their goalkeeper to salvage points, it would be interesting to see the hosts playing attacking football against these rivals. With Mbappé in top form, defeating Real Madrid has become even more difficult.
While Kylian Mbappé has emerged as the team’s leader, Vinicius Jr remains a strong candidate to get on the scoresheet too. However, he did not feature in the UCL match against Brest due to a suspension.
On the flip side, his absence has allowed him to rest and come back fresh for the game against Espanyol. Given González’s tendency to sit deep and concede possession, Real’s wingers will aim to exploit spaces in wide areas.
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