Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Real Madrid appear to have fully recovered from their painful Supercopa final defeat, coming into this match on a five-game winning streak. Espanyol have shown some resilience this month, but the level of competition on Saturday may prove too much for them.
Espanyol
A draw with Sevilla (1:1) last weekend marked Espanyol’s fifth consecutive match in which they conceded. The newly promoted side sit in the relegation zone, having conceded 33 goals in 21 matches—only three teams in La Liga have a worse defensive record. Their home defence has also been shaky, accumulating 15.95 xGA over 11 matches, ranking fourth-worst in the league.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are in top attacking form this month, and with Atlético Madrid dropping points, they now hold a four-point lead in the title race. On Wednesday, they comfortably defeated Stade Brestois (3:0) in the Copa del Rey. Although Kylian Mbappé’s five-game scoring streak ended, he still provided an assist for Rodrygo Silva’s brace. Since the start of 2025, Real Madrid have generated 11.55 xG in just 270 minutes of league football—the highest in La Liga over this period.
Espanyol vs Real Madrid Prediction
Since April 2022, Real Madrid have won four consecutive matches against Espanyol, each time by at least a two-goal margin. With a crucial Madrid derby on the horizon, they cannot afford to drop points. A convincing away win is likely.
