'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid are set to play Espanyol at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in La Liga.
Real Madrid come into this game on the back of a pulsating 4-3 loss to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the first leg of the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. Goals from Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Brazilian attacker Gabriel Jesus, forward Phil Foden and Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva sealed the deal for Manchester City.
A brace from star French striker Karim Benzema and a goal from Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior proved to be a mere consolation for Real Madrid.
Espanyol, on the other hand, lost 1-0 to Andoni Iraola's Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. A first-half goal from attacker Sergi Guardiola secured the win for Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid vs Espanyol Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- In 28 head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Real Madrid hold the clear advantage. They have won 23 games.
- Espanyol have won two games, while the other three have ended in draws.
- Real Madrid have been propelled throughout this season by the attacking prowess of Karim Benzema. The France international has 36 goal contributions in the league this season.
- Vinicius Junior hasn't been bad either; the young Brazilian has 22 goal contributions in La Liga for Real Madrid.
- Former Real Madrid striker Raul de Tomas has been Espanyol's star player this season. The Spain international has 15 league goals.
Real Madrid vs Espanyol Prediction
Real Madrid are top of the league table and are incredibly close to winning the league title. While Los Blancos have enjoyed a fairly comfortable league campaign, their European adventure has been decidedly frantic.
Throughout the season, the club have relied on the attacking brilliance of Karim Benzema to bail them out. The explosive Vinicius Junior has been extremely impressive as well, but all eyes, rightly, have been on Benzema's world-class performances.
Espanyol, the other hand, are 13th in the league and have won two of their last five league games. Striker Raul de Tomas has been a revelation with his goalscoring and won his debut cap for the Spanish national team on the back of some impressive performances this season.
Midfielder Sergi Darder has been a crucial player for Espanyol, having registered eight assists in the league so far.
Real Madrid will be the favorites to win.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Espanyol
$1,000 Risk-Free Bet at FanDuel SB
Real Madrid vs Espanyol Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result- Real Madrid
Tip 2: game to have over 2.5 goals- Yes
Tip 3: Karim Benzema to score- Yes
