Following a 2-1 victory in their opening UEFA Champions League match against Olympique Marseille, Real Madrid is set to host Espanyol this Saturday at their iconic home ground. Coached by Xabi Alonso, the team has kicked off their 2025-26 LaLiga campaign impressively with 4 wins out of 4 matches, scoring 8 goals while conceding just 2. Meanwhile, Espanyol has surprised many by holding an unbeaten record and currently sitting in third place with ten points.
Unfortunately for Madrid, they will miss Dean Huijsen, who is suspended after receiving a red card during their last contest against Real Sociedad. In a positive turn, Vinicius Junior is expected to start after having been benched in the previous match against OM.
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Espanyol, Odds
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 20 | Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Real Madrid -526; Draw +594; Espanyol +1288
Xabi Alonso on Vinicius Jr.
Xabi Alonso remarked on Vinicius’ situation, stating: “He looks good. Seeing him from outside is very different. Yesterday I didn’t think it was the right time to talk to him, but today he had a bigger smile and seemed more positive. We talked a bit before the end of training. Tomorrow we’ll see.”
Projected Lineups
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois; Daniel Carvajal, Raul Asencio, Eder Militao, Alvaro Carreras; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni; Brahim Diaz; Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe; Vinicius Junior.
Espanyol XI: Marko Dmitrovic; Omar El Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero; Tyrhys Dolan, Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez de Zarate, Javier Puado; Edu Exposito, Roberto Fernandez.
