Los Blancos’ plans have been disrupted by the departure of Casemiro to Manchester United but Carlo Ancelotti remains confident they can fight across all fronts in the coming months.
Hosts Espanyol have not enjoyed a strong start to the campaign with one point on the board from two matches as Diego Martinez’s charges lost out to Rayo Vallecano last weekend.
A trip to Catalonia traditionally brings with it a charged atmosphere for Real Madrid but they will be confident of securing a positive result on the blue-and-white half of Barcelona.
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What time is Espanyol vs. Real Madrid?
Espanyol play host to Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It kicks off at 9 p.m. BST on Sunday, Aug 28.
How to watch Espanyol vs. Real Madrid
UK: Matches are carried across Premier Sports/La Liga TV streaming and TV platforms.
USA: Selected La Liga matches are televised on ESPN+ with options available in English and Spanish.
Canada: Every La Liga game streams live and on demand exclusively via TSN.ca.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.
Espanyol vs. Real Madrid predicted lineups
Espanyol will be without key defender Sergi Gomez through suspension following his red card against Rayo, with a one-game ban imposed.
Adria Pedrosa and Pol Lozano are both expected to miss out through injury with Martinez looking to freshen up his starting XI.
Espanyol predicted lineup (4-3-3): Lecomte (GK) — Olivan, Cabrera, Calero, Gil — Darder, Souza, Exposito — Puado, Joselu, Sanchez
Casemiro was omitted from the squad for last weekend’s win over Celta Vigo as he wrapped up a move to Old Trafford, with Aurelien Tchouameni replacing him.
Tchouameni will start as part of an unchanged side, if Toni Kroos fails a late fitness test, with Nacho Fernandez still out.
Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-3-3): Courtois (GK) — Mendy, Alaba, Miltao, Carvajal — Camavinga, Tchouameni, Modric — Vinicius Jr, Benzema, Valverde
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Espanyol vs. Real Madrid betting odds
With Real Madrid on form and Espanyol struggling, this looks to be a straightforward call as an away win in Catalonia this weekend.
Ancelotti will be aiming to get through this game with minimum fuss and Los Blancos have won on six of their past eight league visits to the RCDE Stadium.
