Espanyol opened their campaign with a convincing 3-0 home win but head into this fixture severely depleted, missing seven regular starters through injury and suspension, which drastically alters their competitive level. Real Madrid are finally making their league debut under Jose…
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Sign inEspanyol welcome Real Madrid for a La Liga clash on Saturday evening, with José Mourinho’s side opening their league campaign after a summer of defensive setbacks. The hosts, buoyed by an emphatic 3-0 victory over Levante on matchday one, will look to exploit Madrid’s injury-ravaged backline as the 2026/27 season gathers pace.
Espanyol manager Manolo González is without Javier Puado and Kike Garcia, both nursing long-term injuries, while midfielder Edu Expósito also misses out. That means Roberto Fernández, who hit a brace against Levante, will again lead the line supported by Tyrhys Dolan and Javier Hernández.
Real Madrid’s absentee list is far longer. Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Raúl Asencio, Thiago Pitarch, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Ferland Mendy are all ruled out. The defensive crisis is acute: only Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rüdiger, and Ibrahima Konaté are fit among the senior centre-backs. Youngsters Joan Martínez and Mario Rivas have been training with the first team and could make the bench. Mourinho is expected to deploy a back four with Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella at full-back, and a midfield likely built around Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, and Bernardo Silva, though Arda Güler’s outstanding preseason as a No. 10 may push the system towards a 4-2-3-1. Kylian Mbappé will spearhead the attack alongside Vinícius Júnior and Yan Diomande.
Espanyol carried late-2025/26 momentum into the new season, collecting seven points from their final three matches before demolishing Levante. The 3-0 win at home showcased their ability to punish defensive errors on the break, with Fernández converting twice from close range. Although they narrowly missed a top-half finish last term, González has instilled a resilient structure that makes them awkward opponents, especially in Catalonia, where they have historically troubled Madrid.
Mourinho’s preseason ended unbeaten—five wins and one draw, including a 3-0 victory over Schalke—and the team recorded 243 consecutive minutes without conceding. Yet that solidity will be tested immediately by the absence of Militão and Asencio. The likely trio of Huijsen, Rüdiger, and Konaté has never started a competitive match together. How they handle the movement of Fernández and the wide play of Dolan could determine whether Madrid begin the title bid with a clean sheet or an early scare. Thibaut Courtois’s experience between the posts becomes even more vital.
Real Madrid hold a dominant overall record against Espanyol (121 wins in 203 meetings), but the historical balance at Espanyol’s ground is razor-thin: 41 home wins to Madrid’s 40 in 101 encounters. Last season’s corresponding fixture ended 2-0 to Madrid thanks to a Vinícius Júnior second-half double, yet Espanyol had won 1-0 on their own patch in February 2025. Across the last five league head-to-heads, Madrid won three and Espanyol one. Mourinho’s personal record against the Periquitos reads four wins and two draws from six meetings.
Fernández, a former Barcelona academy striker, could not have asked for a better start: two goals on opening day, sharp movement, and confidence flowing. He faces a centre-back unit that has never lined up together competitively and a midfield missing its primary shield in Tchouaméni. If Espanyol can supply early service behind Madrid’s full-backs, Fernández will test how quickly Konaté can shake off a disrupted preseason and whether Rüdiger’s knee holds up. Keep an eye on Vinícius Júnior’s duel with Espanyol’s right-back Omar El Hilali on the opposite flank—a secondary battle that may define the contest.
As the final whistle approaches, both sides will already have one eye on the fixture list. Espanyol will take confidence from any points gained into their next outing, while Real Madrid know a statement result is essential before hosting Athletic Club on matchday three. For Mourinho, this marks the first competitive step of his second spell in the Spanish capital—and a chance to prove that an injury crisis need not derail a title charge.
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