JAKARTA - Defending La Liga champions Real Madrid will face Espanyol on Saturday night February 1, in the 2024-25 season competition. Los Blancos are eyeing their 16th win of the season, while Espanyol is trying to get out of the relegation zone. Both teams have high motivation to get the three points, but with a very different goal.

Currently, Real Madrid are at the top of La Liga standings with 49 points from 21 matches, four points ahead of Atletico Madrid who are in second place. Meanwhile, Espanyol ranks 18th with 20 points, only one point adrift of the safe zone occupied by Alaves.

Espanyol returned to La Liga this season after winning the Segunda Division playoffs. Staying in the highest caste of Spanish football is their main target, and so far they are still struggling to get out of the relegation zone. Of the 21 matches that have been played,kole Gonzalez's team recorded five wins, five draws, and 11 defeats.

Even though in the last six matches they have only lost once, Espanyol has only been able to win once, namely against Real Valladolid at home. Last week, they drew 1-1 against Sevilla. Espanyol's lead is their solid home performance lately, where they have been unbeaten at home since late October.

However, the record of the meeting against Real Madrid did not side with Espanyol. In the last four matches in La Liga against Los Blancos, they have always lost, including a 4-1 defeat in the first meeting of the season. However, Espanyol once defeated Real Madrid at home in October 2021 with a score of 2-1, which could be an additional motivation for the hosts.

On the other hand, Real Madrid have just won a convincing 3-0 win over Brest in the Champions League, ensuring they qualify for the playoffs of the competition. Previously, they also won 3-0 over Real Valladolid in La Liga, extending their streak of five wins in all competitions.

Real Madrid have an impressive away record this season, collecting 22 points from 11 matches. However, they still have to be aware of Espanyol's strength at home which has recently been quite solid.

Espanyol

The home team had to lose several key players in this match. Salvi Sanchez and Jose Gragera are still sidelined due to injury, while Brian Olivan is doubtful of appearing after suffering injuries in the previous match against Sevilla.

It is estimated thatOK Gonzalez will not change much of his line-up. Carlos Romero is likely to replace Olivan in left-back position, while Roberto Fernandez, who has just joined the loan from Braga, will return to fill the front line with Javi Puado.

Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti's squad is also still without some of their flagship players. Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal remain sidelined due to long-term injuries, while Eduardo Camavinga is likely to return after recovering from a muscle injury.

Vinicius Junior is ready to re-strengthen the front line after missing the Champions League match against Brest due to suspension. Vinicius' return saw Rodrygo switch to the right side of the attack, while Mbappe will continue to play in the middle.

Aurelien Tchouameni is likely to return to midfield, with Raul Asencio entering the back line for a duet with Antonio Rudiger, considering David Alaba is still recovering after being sidelined for more than a year due to a knee injury.

Berdasarkan performa kedua tim sejauh ini, Real Madrid jelas menjadi favorit dalam pertandingan ini. Mereka memiliki linea serangan yang tajat, mencetak 20 gol dalam lima kemenangan sekali mereka di berbagai kompetisi. Kehadiran kembali Vinicius Junior semakin memperkuat serangan mereka yang sudah mengandalkan kecepatan Mbappe dan Krenasi Jude Bellingham.

However, Espanyol is not a team that can be underestimated, especially when playing at home. They have shown unbeaten resilience at home since last October. If they are able to survive with discipline and take advantage of the chances of a counterattack, Espanyol could come as a surprise.

Real Madrid are likely to dominate possession and press from the start. The key for Espanyol is to stay tight and take advantage of counter-attacks quickly. If they could score first, the pressure would increase for the visitors.

However, seeing Los Blancos' impressive performance, it is predicted that Real Madrid will be able to overcome Espanyol's resistance and bring home three points from this match.

Estimated Lineup Of Players

Espanyol: J Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Carreras, Kral, Lozano, Tejoro; Puado, Fernandez

Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius

Score Prediction: Espanyol 1-3 Real Madrid


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