As the La Liga season reaches a crucial juncture, reigning champions Real Madrid will travel to face struggling Espanyol on Saturday.

The capital club, currently top of the table, will be seeking their 16th league victory of the 2024-25 campaign, while their Catalan opponents find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle.

Espanyol, who secured promotion back to the top flight last season, have managed just five wins, five draws and 11 defeats from their 21 league matches so far, leaving them 18th in the standings, one point adrift of safety.

However, the hosts have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, remaining unbeaten at home since the end of October.

In contrast, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid side have been in formidable form, sitting four points clear at the summit with a record of 15 wins, four draws and two losses.

The defending champions head into this clash on the back of a five-game winning streak across all competitions, having scored 20 goals in the process.

Team News

Espanyol will once again be without the injured duo of Salvi Sanchez and Jose Gragera, while Brian Olivan is a major doubt after picking up a knock in the draw with Sevilla last time out.

Coach Vicente Gonzalez is expected to field a similar lineup to the one that took the field against Sevilla, but Carlos Romero may replace the injured Olivan at left-back.

As for Real Madrid, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal remain sidelined due to long-term injuries, but there is a chance that Eduardo Camavinga could return from a muscular problem.

Raul Asencio could earn a start in central defense, with Aurelien Tchouameni moving into midfield, as David Alaba continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

Predicted Lineups

Espanyol:

J. Garcia;

El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero;

Carreras, Kral, Lozano, Tejero;

Puado, Fernandez

Real Madrid: (4-3-3)

Courtois;

Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy;

Valverde, Tchouamani, Bellingham;

Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius

While Espanyol will pose a stern test for the league leaders, Real Madrid’s superior quality and recent form should see them emerge victorious. A tight encounter is expected, but the visitors are tipped to claim a narrow triumph.