You might be thinking that there’s no way Espanyol beat Real Madrid. Well, that was what everybody was thinking about Sheriff, and they beat them 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu.
Of course, Real Madrid deserve to be the favorites, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Espanyol are urged for a victory, otherwise they could fall into the relegation zone. Rumor has it is kind of scary there.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and soccer lines for Espanyol vs Real Madrid. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider!
Game: Espanyol vs Real Madrid
Location: Power8 Stadium, Barcelona
Time: Sunday, Oct. 3, 10:15 a.m. ET
TV: beIN Sports
Live Stream: fuboTV
La Liga Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
| Espanyol | +½ +125 | +415 | 2½ -135o | ½ -200o/+160u |
| Real Madrid | -½ -145 | -145 | 2½ +115u | 1½ -145o/+115u |
| Draw | +305 |
Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 181
- Espanyol: 39 (203 goals)
- Real Madrid: 108 (389 goals)
- Draws: 34
Last season, they met twice, and Real Madrid won both. First, they won 2-0 at home with goals from Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema. Later, they won 1-0 on the road thanks to Casemiro.
Los Blancos own a 9-0-1 record in their last 10 meetings with Espanyol. During that span, they scored 26 goals, allowed three, and finished with a clean sheet eight times. The total went under in seven of those games. Keep an eye on the under for this one at +115.
Espanyol beat Real Madrid for the last time in the 2017-18 season. They did it 1-0 at home.
Do or Die
Espanyol sit in fourteenth place with six points thanks to a 1-3-3 record. It could be worse, they could be Getafe, who haven’t won a single point. The thing is that losing could make them fall to the relegation zone, and the players’ motivation could be crushed.
On the other hand, beating Real Madrid would boost their confidence up to the roof. They’ve two very accessible games after this one. Having a potential three-game winning streak is worth going all-in this Sunday.
Espanyol opened and remain at +450. They’re 1-1-1 when playing at home, 1-1-1 against the spread and 1-2 over/under. We’re not talking about a very prolific team, but they’ve scored in four of their six matches.
Individually, keep an eye on striker Raul de Tomas, who has scored 29 goals since joining the team in 2020. He’s the main reason for you to consider including them in your soccer picks. He currently leads the team in scoring with two goals. Also, he’ll be looking for some revenge. He played for Real Madrid (different categories) from 2012 to 2015, but they didn’t appreciate him.
He’ll be joined by almost the entire squad. Only Yangel Herrera appears on the injury list. Having most of the squad fit and playing in front of their fans is what increases their chances. Their expected lineup is Diego Lopez; Aleix Vidal, Sergi Gomez, Leandro Cabrera, Adria Giner; Keidi Bare, Adrian Embarba, Fran Merida, Sergi Darder, Wu Lei; Raul de Tomas.
Better than That
I guess manager Carlo Ancelotti’s speech after losing against Sheriff was centered on “You’re better than that.” They certainly are. Real Madrid lead La Liga with an unbeaten record (5-2-0), 21 goals for and eight against.
No other team has scored more goals than them. In fact, the second top scoring team in the league has scored 13 goals.
“This could be a good lesson for the future. We’re talking about a defeat when the team didn’t deserve to lose, given how we performed. Where we let ourselves down was on the fine details,” said Ancelotti after their last game.
Madrid’s success is attached to Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, and Marco Asensio. All three have been on fire lately, and all three have scored three or more goals. They’ve made the team to not miss Gareth Bale, who’s injured.
Recent events made them go from -175 to -145. Losing to Sheriff certainly took a chunk of their confidence away, but still, they shouldn’t worry too much. They also remain as huge betting online favorites because Toni Kroos is back. His vision is enviable and now Ancelotti has more options for midfield.
Besides Bale, Dani Ceballos, Ferland Mendy, Dani Carvajal, and Marcelo remain out due to injury. Carvajal is the one they need most, but Nacho or Lucas Vazquez can take care of the right back side for a while.
Their expected lineup is Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Miguel Gutierrez; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard.
Final Analysis, Predictions
Atletico Madrid won at Power8 Stadium, but not without suffering. Expect a similar scenario for Real Madrid. There’s no doubt that they’re the better team, but Espanyol will put up a fight. Both will have plenty of scoring opportunities in a fast-paced match.
Don’t forget to check the rest of the props our sportsbook is offering to increase your winning chances. Our score prediction is offering a +750 price, while Real Madrid winning by one is +250. I also like 31-40 minutes at +600 for the first goal. Like I said, it’s going to be a close one.
Score Prediction: Espanyol 1 – Real Madrid 2
