Espanyol vs Real Madrid
Match recap
Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2–0 in their La Liga fixture. Vinícius Júnior and Vinícius Júnior scored for Real Madrid. Expected-goals data put the chance balance at 1.16 for Espanyol versus 1.75 for Real Madrid. Espanyol sit 11th in the La Liga table while Real Madrid are 2nd.
Analysis
As Espanyol prepare to host Real Madrid in this La Liga clash, the stage is set for a compelling encounter. Real Madrid's superior form and goal difference suggest they will likely come out on top, even with some key players sidelined.
Espanyol sit 13th with 39 points, struggling to find consistency, while Real Madrid are comfortably placed 2nd with 74 points. The visitors boast a +37 goal difference compared to Espanyol's -12, highlighting their dominance this season.
Despite missing top scorers Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior due to injury and suspension, Real Madrid's depth and attacking options remain potent. Espanyol's defensive stalwart Carlos Romero is also absent, weakening their backline. Real Madrid's midfield creativity, led by A. Güler with 9 assists, further tilts the balance in their favour.
Prediction
The prediction is a 2-1 away win for Real Madrid, with a halftime lead of 2-0. The match is expected to be competitive, but Real Madrid's superior quality and form should see them through, with a total of 4 cards anticipated in a tightly contested game.
Outcome probability
Key Insights
Real Madrid missing key attackers Mbappé and Vinícius
Both top scorers are injured or suspended, reducing attacking firepower despite overall team strength
Espanyol's defensive stalwart Romero absent
Romero's injury weakens Espanyol's defense against Real Madrid's strong attack
Real Madrid's superior scoring and assist rates
Madrid averages 2.1 goals/game with multiple high-assist midfielders, outpacing Espanyol's 1.1 goals/game
Real Madrid's strong recent scoring streak
Madrid has scored in last 5 games, showing offensive consistency despite injuries
Espanyol's key creative players suspended or injured
Loss of Edu Expósito and Pere Milla reduces Espanyol's chance creation and goal threat
Key Takeaways
In summary, Real Madrid's stronger squad, better form, and key statistical advantages make them favourites to claim all three points at Espanyol. While the hosts will fight hard, the visitors' quality should shine through in the end.
- Real Madrid are 2nd in La Liga with 74 points from 33 games.
- Espanyol are 13th with 39 points from 33 games.
- Real Madrid have a +37 goal difference; Espanyol have -12.
- Real Madrid average 2.24 points per game; Espanyol average 1.18.
- Top scorer Kylian Mbappé has 24 goals but is injured for this match.
- Vinícius Júnior, with 13 goals, is suspended for this game.
- Espanyol's key defender Carlos Romero is injured and unavailable.
- Real Madrid's A. Güler leads with 9 assists this season.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Espanyol
Away — Real Madrid
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Mendy
Díaz
Yellow Card
Vinícius Júnior
Yellow Card
El Hilali
Yellow Card
Red card cancelled
Edu Expósito
Yellow Card
Alexander-Arnold
Yellow Card
Díaz
Pitarch
Vinícius Júnior
Assist: García
Sánchez
Edu Expósito
Vinícius Júnior
Assist: Bellingham
Fernández
Terrats
Dolan
García
Yellow Card
Vinícius Júnior
Tchouaméni
González
Yellow Card
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barcelona | 38 | 31 | 1 | 6 | +59 | 94 |
| 2 |  Real Madrid | 38 | 27 | 5 | 6 | +42 | 86 |
| 3 |  Villarreal | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | +26 | 72 |
| 10 |  Real Sociedad | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | -2 | 46 |
| 11 |  Espanyol | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | -12 | 46 |
| 12 |  Athletic Club | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | -15 | 45 |
Match Statistics
Espanyol
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 2Rubén SánchezM
- 4Urko GonzálezM
- 5Fernando CaleroD
- 6L. CabreraD
- 8Edu ExpósitoM
- 9Roberto FernándezF
- 13M. DmitrovićG
- 14Ramón TerratsM
- 22Carlos RomeroD
- 23O. El HilaliD
- 24T. DolanM
Substitutes
- 1Ángel FortuñoG
- 11Pere MillaM
- 12José SalinasD
- 15Miguel RubioD
- 17Jofre CarrerasF
- 18C. PickelM
- 19Kike GarcíaF
- 20Antoniu RocaF
- 28F. GomezM
- 32L. CastellF
- 38C. RiedelD
Real Madrid
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 5J. BellinghamM
- 7Vinícius JúniorF
- 8F. ValverdeM
- 12T. Alexander-ArnoldD
- 13A. LuninG
- 14A. TchouaméniM
- 21Brahim DíazM
- 22A. RüdigerD
- 23F. MendyD
- 24D. HuijsenD
- 45Thiago PitarchM
Substitutes
- 4D. AlabaD
- 6E. CamavingaM
- 16Gonzalo GarcíaF
- 17Raúl AsencioD
- 18Álvaro FernándezD
- 20Fran GarcíaD
- 26Fran GonzálezG
- 30Franco MastantuonoF
- 35David JiménezD
- 38César PalaciosM
- 43Sergio MestreG
Espanyol
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Romero | D | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2/3 |
| Edu Expósito | M | 61 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2/3 |
| Roberto Fernández | F | 73 | 6.9 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Marko Dmitrović | G | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tyrhys Dolan | M | 73 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1/1 |
| Rubén Sánchez | M | 61 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1/2 |
| Leandro Cabrera(C) | D | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Omar El Hilali | D | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Urko González | M | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Fernando Calero | D | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ramón Terrats | M | 73 | 6.2 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Lluc Castell | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Miguel Rubio | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Angel Fortuno | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jose Salinas | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clemens Riedel | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ferran Gomez | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jofre Carreras | F | 17 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Pere Milla | M | 17 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| Antoniu Roca | F | 29 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/3 |
| Charles Pickel | M | 29 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kike García | F | 17 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Real Madrid
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinicius Júnior | F | 84 | 10.0 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2/2 |
| Dean Huijsen | D | 90 | 7.9 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Aurélien Tchouaméni | M | 84 | 7.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Andriy Lunin | G | 90 | 7.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Antonio Rüdiger | D | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Jude Bellingham | M | 90 | 7.3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/6 |
| Federico Valverde(C) | M | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | D | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/2 |
| Thiago Pitarch Pinar | M | 53 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Ferland Mendy | D | 14 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brahim Díaz | M | 53 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| David Alaba | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fran González | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sergio Mestre | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Raúl Asencio | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| David Jiménez | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Álvaro Carreras | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fran García | D | 76 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Eduardo Camavinga | M | 12 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| César Palacios | M | 12 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franco Mastantuono | F | 37 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/2 |
| Gonzalo García | F | 37 | 6.2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 0/1 |