- Real Madrid are in good form, winning four of their last five and unbeaten during that run.
- Espanyol are unbeaten in their last four home games, winning two and drawing two.
- Real Madrid have won four of the last five head-to-head encounters and have not lost any of those.
Los Blancos come to town
Real Madrid will look to continue their excellent form when they travel to the RCDE Stadium to take on RCD Espanyol on Saturday. Los Blancos have won two from two on the road under new boss Jose Mourinho, who has made a real impact since taking charge on 1 July 2026.
Their win at Ferencvarosi TC was a very measured effort before they went to Deportivo La Coruna and picked up a victory in LaLiga 2026-2027 last time out. In total, they have won seven of their last ten across all competitions, drawing two and losing just once.
Espanyol can hold their own
Manolo González, who took over at the helm on 12 March 2024, has got Espanyol looking compact, direct and dangerous in transition. It hasn't been an exceptional run, but it has been a decent one, and their 4-3-3 system gives a nice contrast to Los Blancos' style.
It will be interesting to see if Mourinho looks to shut up shop and aim for a smash and grab win or if he wants his team to come out and take the game to Espanyol. The visitors are the clear favourites here at 1.52, but we feel the value lies in backing Espanyol at 6.2 or even the draw at 4.0.
A tight, tense affair in Barcelona
Espanyol's last five games have been a mixed bag, with one win, three draws and one defeat, but they do seem to have more grit when playing at home. Their last two games at the RCDE saw them beat Levante 1-0 and draw 1-1 with Villarreal, while they have conceded just two goals in their four home matches across all competitions.
The draw looks appealing here, but we have gone with a Madrid win because of their current form. However, Los Pericos will make it tough for them and we're going for a Madrid victory and under 3.5 goals, which gives Mourinho's men enough scope to win by more than one goal, but at the same time, it should be a tight and tense matchup.
Espanyol have averaged just 0.5 goals scored at home to Real Madrid across the last five and Los Blancos have averaged 1.0 goal during that time. It could be a game of chess between two different styles - Espanyol will try to press and nick a goal in transition while Madrid will sit in their structured block and pounce when they can.
Over 2.5 goals at 1.73 and BTTS - Yes at 1.8 look the obvious selections given the open nature of both sides' styles, but we're siding with an under bet in a Madrid controlled tempo and a low-margin result.
