Espanyol vs Real Madrid Prediction: Vini Jr can grab an assist at a tasty price

Premier Sports 1 is the TV channel to watch Carlo Ancelotti and his side on Saturday night as they take on Espanyol on the road in a 20:00 kick-off (UK time).

Our Spanish-based football expert Mark Sochon previews the action and picks out his two Best Bets for the game as he gives us his Espanyol vs Real Madrid Predictions in his full match preview for us at Betfred Insights...

*You can check out all of the Football Odds we offer over at betfred.com

Real Madrid are starting to pick up the pace as we head towards the business end of the season, an ominous sign for their domestic and European rivals perhaps. They'll be expecting to record an 11th win in 12 matches when they travel to struggling Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday. 

Their response to losing El Clásico in the Supercopa last month has been a very strong one. Los Blancos have won all five competitive games since then by at least three goals, although they did need Extra Time in their 5-2 Copa del Rey victory over Celta Vigo immediately after the bruising Barcelona defeat. 

With closest rivals Atlético Madrid slipping up in their last two games, Real are now four points clear at the top of La Liga, while they have a seven-point advantage on Barcelona. Win this game and next weekend's derby clash with Atleti at the Bernabéu, and Los Blancos would be in a very commanding position at the top of the table. 

Real Madrid are at a slight disadvantage though, in that they are the only one of the title challengers involved in Champions League play-off action in February. Carlo Ancelotti's side won 3-0 at Brest on Wednesday, to secure an 11th place finish in the league phase of the newly reformed Champions League. 

In theory, that should have been enough to at least serve up a relatively favourable play-off opponent, but that's not quite how it turned out. Manchester City's own failures in this European campaign mean we're now set for a blockbuster tie between the competition's two most recent champions. That will really test the metal of a Real Madrid side that has tended to come unstuck in the big matches this season.  

There is little doubt about them in games such as the one they'll face this weekend though. In league fixtures against sides ranked outside the top seven heading into matchday 22, Real Madrid have won 14 out of 15. 

Even when things weren't going so well in the final third, they were still finding a way past the weaker sides. With the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo all coming into good form in recent weeks, they have so much firepower that it's very difficult for opposing teams to hold them at bay for 90 minutes. 

Espanyol will at least take encouragement from some of the cracks that have been evident in the Real Madrid defence. While not prolific scorers this season, the Catalans have added 22-year-old striker Roberto Fernández on loan from Braga this month, and he looks an upgrade on most of their existing options, with the exception of top scorer Javi Puado. 

Puado's seven-goal return in La Liga is five more than any other Espanyol player has managed. They have found it tough going on their return to the top flight after one season in the Segunda División, but their home record is more than respectable for a newly promoted side. 

They've won five, drawn three and lost three at the RCDE Stadium so far, although punters should be aware that they're yet to host any of the top four, but have already played all of the other teams in the bottom five in Cornellà. 

That includes bottom club Real Valladolid who they defeated 2-1 in a crunch relegation six-pointer last time out at home. They also competed well in a 1-1 draw away to Sevilla last time out, with Marash Kumbulla's early goal enough for just their second point on the road this season. 

Sevilla did have 75% of the ball and 25 shots in that game though, and Espanyol boss Manolo González will know his side may have a lot of defending to do here too. 

Team News: 

From a home perspective, we're not likely to see many changes from the side that drew at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán last weekend. They do have a major injury doubt over left-back Brian Oliván though, so Carlos Romero could get the nod in that role. José Gragera and Pablo Ramón remain out injured. 

As for Real Madrid, the picture is a bit more complicated with Ancelotti likely to consider rotation, with some huge games on the horizon. That could include a first start since 2023 for David Alaba who has recently returned from a serious knee injury. Fran García and Dani Ceballos are also expected to come in, having only made the bench at Brest. 

Having missed three of their last four games due to suspension, Vinícius Júnior is also certain to start. That may serve up an opportunity to rest Rodrygo, or Ancelotti could simply opt to shift the in-form 24-year-old across to the right flank. Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão are the only confirmed injury absentees for the visitors. 

Espanyol vs Real Madrid Odds

Real Madrid are the clear favourites as you'd expect, at 3/10 to win this game. You can back the Draw at 9/2, while Espanyol are priced at 9/1 to cause a major upset. 

If you fancy the visitors to continue their recent hot streak of winning games comfortably, you can back Real Madrid -1.00 Handicap at 5/6. Meanwhile, Real Madrid -2.00 Handicap is priced at 21/10, a winning bet in six of their last eight games. 

Alternatively, you can back Espanyol with a +2.00 Handicap at 9/10, while the home team are available at 16/5 to win either half in this match. 

They've got plenty to keep an eye on defensively, with no shortage of potential Real Madrid goal scorers in this game. Mbappé is the 11/4 favourite to score first, while he's priced at 4/5 to score anytime, having netted eight times in his last six appearances. 

Vinícius is available at 11/10 to mark his return to the team with a goal. You can also back Rodrygo to score anytime at 8/5, while Bellingham is priced at 7/4 in the same market. From a home perspective, Javi Puado could be the main threat and he's 100/30 to get on the scoresheet. 

You can also take advantage of a Price Boost, and back Real Madrid to win both halves, Jude Bellingham to score or assist and Real Madrid most corners at enhanced odds of 9/2. 

Bet 1 - Real Madrid win & Over 2.5 goals @ 5/6 

With all of their key attacking players available for this game, it's hard to see Real Madrid not enjoying plenty of success in the final third against one of the weakest teams in La Liga.  

While the return of Vinícius does perhaps raise as many questions as answers for Ancelotti, given they've been playing well with Rodrygo on the left and Mbappé through the middle, the individual quality is undeniable and that should be decisive over 90 minutes. 

The visiting boss may take a few risks with his defence though. It's unclear how Alaba's body will hold up to a potential 90 minutes after so long out, while right-back still remains a major problem position for Los Blancos. Those issues suggest Espanyol could get on the scoresheet, but the gulf in class is significant, and I'm backing Real Madrid and Over 2.5 goals at 5/6. 

Bet 2 - Vinícius Júnior 1+ assists @ 11/5 

There's perhaps a little bit of pressure on Vinícius here, given how well Mbappé, and indeed Rodrygo, has done in his absence over the past fortnight. The narrative that Vinícius and Mbappé don't function well together is being pushed in some quarters, and it will really grow should Real Madrid's form dip over the coming weeks. 

To a large extent, the onus is on Ancelotti to find the answers. His favoured approach looks likely to be Vinícius playing on the left in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Mbappé leading the line and Bellingham operating as the advanced midfielder. 

Vinícius has spoken over the past week about his desire to help Mbappé win the Pichichi. It feels as though his role here, and for the remainder of the campaign, may centre around trying to add to his current tally of five assists in La Liga, as much as it does scoring goals. 

Freshly rested, unlike most of his teammates, the Brazilian is likely to play the full 90 minutes and I'm backing Vinícius Júnior 1+ assists at 11/5.