Real Madrid begin their 2026-27 La Liga campaign away to Espanyol on Saturday, with Jose Mourinho looking to start his second spell at the club with three points.
Espanyol already have momentum after opening the season with an impressive 3-0 victory over Levante, as Roberto Fernandez scored twice. Manolo Gonzalez's side finished 11th last season and also beat Real Madrid 1-0 at RCDE Stadium as recently as February 2025.
Los Blancos had their opening fixture against Real Sociedad postponed because several players were involved in the latter stages of the World Cup. Mourinho's rebuilt squad arrives after an unbeaten pre-season, with four wins from five matches, including a 3-0 victory over Schalke in their final warm-up.
Espanyol vs Real Madrid: Key Stats
Espanyol opened their La Liga season with a 3-0 victory over Levante
Real Madrid won four and drew one of their five pre-season matches
Los Blancos beat Espanyol 2-0 in both league meetings last season
Real Madrid have won four of the previous five meetings between the sides
Espanyol's only victory in those five games was a 1-0 home win in February 2025
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect
Espanyol should keep much of the structure that worked against Levante, although Leandro Cabrera is suspended while Kike Garcia and Javi Puado are injured. Roberto Fernandez will remain the main threat after his opening-day brace, with the hosts likely to stay compact and attack quickly whenever Madrid lose possession.
Mourinho could hand competitive debuts to Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva. Federico Valverde and Bernardo should provide control in midfield, allowing Arda Guler to operate closer to Kylian Mbappe, with Vinicius Junior attacking from the left.
Real Madrid are without Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy, while Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick remain fitness doubts. Despite those absences, Madrid should dominate possession and use Dumfries and Cucurella to stretch an Espanyol defence that will spend long periods protecting its own penalty area.
Predicted Lineups
Espanyol (4-2-3-1)
Dmitrovic; El-Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo; Gonzalez, Lozano; Calatrava, Hernandez, Dolan; Fernandez
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Courtois; Dumfries, Huijsen, Konate, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo; Diaz, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
Players to Watch
Kylian Mbappe - Mourinho's main attacking reference should lead the line and will be expected to set the tone for Madrid's title challenge. His pace behind Espanyol's defensive line gives the visitors their clearest route to goal.
Vinicius Junior - Starts the season after committing his future to Madrid and remains their biggest one-on-one threat. Espanyol's right side will need support whenever Vinicius receives possession in space.
Bernardo Silva - Could make his competitive Real Madrid debut and gives Mourinho another player capable of controlling possession under pressure. His movement between midfield and attack should help create space for Guler and Mbappe.
Roberto Fernandez - Scored twice against Levante and enters this fixture with confidence. Espanyol may have limited possession, making Fernandez's ability to convert the few opportunities that arrive especially important.
Prediction
Prediction: Real Madrid -1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.19
Espanyol's 3-0 opening victory deserves respect, particularly with Madrid yet to play a competitive fixture, but the difference in attacking quality remains significant. Mourinho can field Mbappe, Vinicius, Guler and Bernardo against a home side missing several established players.
Espanyol should make the opening stages competitive, but Madrid's depth and ability to stretch the game should become increasingly important after the break. A one-goal Madrid victory would return the stake on the Asian Handicap, while a victory by two or more lands the selection. A 1-4 away win looks plausible.
