Real Madrid vs Espanyol Prediction: Los Blancos to win but no Clean Sheet

For the second week in a row Real Madrid are playing in the UK blackout window, so fans won't be able to watch the European giants live on TV. Kick-off is set for 15:15 on Saturday afternoon.

Our La Liga Betting Expert previews the action and has picked out two Real Madrid-based bets to consider. Check out his Real Madrid vs Espanyol Predictions below...

Real Madrid are back at the Bernabéu on Saturday for an unlikely top-three showdown in La Liga against surprise package Espanyol. The visitors would go top with a victory, but for Los Blancos, this is a good opportunity to at least temporarily open up a five-point advantage on Barcelona, who play on Sunday. 

Xabi Alonso's side have been reduced to 10 men in each of their two matches since the international break. Dean Huijsen controversially saw red in just the 32nd minute at Real Sociedad last weekend, while Dani Carvajal was sent off in the second half against Marseille in the Champions League in midweek. 

In both cases, Real Madrid found a way to win, extending their 100% start to the campaign. While they've only won one match so far by a margin of greater than one goal, Alonso will be encouraged by most of what he has seen. 

They were very good in the first half at the Reale Arena last Saturday, with Kylian Mbappé unstoppable at times. He bullied an unconvincing home defence, scoring the opening goal and setting up Arda Güler to finish on two occasions, although one of the Turkish midfielder's strikes was chalked out for offside. 

Los Blancos also came flying out of the blocks in the Champions League in midweek. They peppered the Marseille goal, with Gerónimo Rulli needing to make 10 saves before the interval, the most any goalkeeper has made in a single half in the competition since Opta's records began in 2003/04. 

The hosts had 28 shots across the full 90 minutes but failed to score from open play, with two Mbappé penalties sealing a 2-1 victory over Roberto De Zerbi's side. 

Espanyol's defence will no doubt be bracing themselves for a busy afternoon. However, the Catalans will certainly take confidence into this match after an excellent start to the campaign. 

They came from behind to upset Atlético Madrid 2-1 on the opening weekend. They've since won two more home games, against Osasuna and Mallorca, who they beat in a 3-2 thriller on Monday. 

Manolo González's team were 2-0 up at one stage in that match, but Pere Milla's red card left them vulnerable to a Mallorca fightback, with the visitors levelling the score at 2-2. If anything, the Balearic Islanders looked the more likely winners, but Kike García came off the bench to score a late penalty and move Espanyol onto 10 points and the lofty heights of third place. 

The early signs suggest they recruited really well this summer. One of their stars has been English winger Tyrhys Dolan. He has attacked with real pace and purpose on the right flank and was the pick of the Espanyol players on Monday night, with the ex-Blackburn man registering his first assist in the Spanish top flight. 

They also have two very capable strikers in the shape of García and Roberto Fernández, while long-serving Javi Puado is also a regular goal threat, whether he plays out wide or through the middle. 

Team News: 

Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga returned to Real Madrid's matchday squad in midweek, following injuries. However, neither made it off the bench, with their first minutes of the campaign potentially coming on Saturday. Endrick is also fit again, and could be involved. 

The hosts will be missing four defenders, though. Huijsen is suspended following his red card in the Basque Country. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy are sidelined with injuries. 

As for Espanyol, there may be some temptation from Manolo to freshen things up and rest a few players given his side has more winnable games to come in LaLiga on Tuesday and Friday next week. Their only expected absentee is Milla, who was sent off for something he said to the referee on Monday night. 

Match Odds: 

Real Madrid are the 2/11 favourites to win this match. You can back the Draw at 6/1, while in-form Espanyol are on offer at 14/1 to cause a big upset in the Spanish capital. 

If you like the look of the visitors to at least compete, you can back Manolo's side to score over 0.5 goals at 5/6, while Espanyol or Draw is priced at 7/2 in the Double Chance market. They are also on offer at 4/1 to win either half. 

Alternatively, the favourites are priced at 6/5 to win both halves, and 8/13 to score in both halves. You can also back Real Madrid to win and Over 3.5 goals at 6/5. 

Mbappé has scored six of his team's 10 goals in all competitions so far this term. You can back the Frenchman to score first on Saturday at 15/8, while he's available at 4/9 to score anytime. For bigger returns, you can back the 2024/25 Pichichi winner to score two or more goals at 2/1. 

Vinícius Júnior is also expected to return, having dropped to the bench against Marseille. The Brazilian is priced at 19/20 to score anytime, while Puado and Roberto Fernández are both available at 3/1 in the same market for the visitors.

You can bet on this match via our Real Madrid vs Espanyol Odds page on the main betfred.com website with all the latest prices and full betting markets.

Bet 1 - Real Madrid to win & Both teams to score @ 8/5 

Espanyol are looking good in the final third, and they have more capable attacking options than the majority of teams in La Liga. That's a huge turnaround from the early days of last season and suggests they won't be involved in any relegation drama on the final weekend this term. With Real Madrid dealing with a number of defensive selection issues, they look capable of getting on the scoresheet. 

However, there are still significant doubts about the visitors at the other end of the pitch. They lost their star goalkeeper Joan García to city rivals Barcelona in the summer, while centre-back Marash Kumbulla was another defensive regular to depart. 

They've only kept one clean sheet so far, and it's hard to see them coping well with a red-hot Mbappé. Given that, I'm backing Real Madrid to win and Both teams to score at 8/5. 

Bet 2 - Over 0.5 first-half goals & Real Madrid to have over 17.5 shots @ 4/5 

We've seen in the last three matches Real Madrid attack and play with real intensity from the first whistle. That is a shift that Alonso clearly wants to see from his side, and it contributed to at least two goals being scored in the first half of each of those games. 

While they've only scored more than twice on one occasion this term, Los Blancos are getting into lots of good positions, and creating opportunities. Aside from the 28 attempts they had against Marseille, they are averaging 19.3 shots per game in La Liga. Meanwhile, Espanyol have faced 16 shots per 90 minutes so far, which is actually the joint-fourth highest figure in the Spanish top flight.  

Given that, I can see value in using the Bet Builder to back Over 0.5 first-half goals and Real Madrid to have over 17.5 shots at 4/5. 

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