History suggests that the run should end against Espanyol as Los Blancos have won the last nine home H2Hs without even conceding in any of the previous seven.
Real Madrid
If Real Madrid are to retain their La Liga title, they’re going to have to make history as never before has a nine-point deficit been overhauled after 24 games, which they must now do following Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Real Betis. “It’s still not over,” maintained manager Carlo Ancelotti while Dani Ceballos said, “as long as there are points at stake, Madrid will always fight,” following their two-match winless run in the league. History suggests that the run should end against Espanyol as Los Blancos have won the last nine home H2Hs without even conceding in any of the previous seven. You have to go all the way back to April 1996 for the last time they lost an H2H against Barcelona’s second club at the Santiago Bernabeu, and given they’re now 15 La Liga matches unbeaten at home, a repeat seems highly unlikely.
Espanyol
Espanyol were building some momentum heading towards the upcoming international break. Still, their 2-1 defeat at Valladolid on Sunday was a bitter blow, as it left them firmly in danger of relegation. Despite the top half being in sight, they are one of a number of clubs that can’t be considered safe, as they’re also lying just two points clear of the bottom three. Prior to that Valladolid defeat, they’d only lost one in six league away games, proving that they can be a force to be reckoned with on the road. However, Espanyol’s aforementioned woeful H2H record here will weigh heavily against them, even if they’re yet to lose consecutive La Liga road games this term.
Rodrygo scored a first-half brace for Madrid in this fixture last season but has been more of a second-half threat this term, with five of his previous six goals coming after the 65th minute. Martin Braithwaite has scored each of Espanyol’s last three goals, two of them being a third of the game. Espanyol have scored after the 85th minute in each of their last three La Liga away games.