Real Madrid vs RCD Espanyol
Real Madrid face RCD Espanyol for an exciting La Liga clash happening this weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos will hope for a Sunday’s best against the promoted Catalan side, who have won two of their last matches, and are looking to spoil the party in the capital.
A 3-1 win over last year’s Bundesliga runners-up, three different scorers appeared on the Madridista scoresheet, with Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Endrick netting the goals for the club—the last became the youngest UCL scorer in Madrid history.
Meanwhile, Espanyol have come away with points in their last three games, with tight wins over Rayo Vallecano and Deportivo Alaves. They also showed grit in a goalless draw with Atletico Madrid, in which they faced 25 shots and a tonne of key chances away from home.
Can Los Pericos continue an uptick in form at the Bernabeu? Or will Real Madrid cut into Barcelona’s lead? SBOTOP has the answers for you.
Talking Points
Spot kicks love the colour white
It’s not new that refereeing decisions tend to favour the bigger teams, not just in football but in sports in general.
And whilst they’re part of the game, it can still feel a little off for some—their rivals to be exact—whenever Real Madrid are awarded a huge chunk of the penalties taken in the league.
That has been the case in recent time, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side being awarded a penalty in three of the last five league matches they’ve played so far.
In fact, four of their last five La Liga goals came from penalty kicks—both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior have scored twice each.
For a lot of people, that is troublesome for the sport, with the officials’ credibility being put into question.
Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad became the talk of town after a second penalty was given to Los Blancos, with aplenty of discussions regarding whether the decision was just.
“For me there was only one penalty. It’s a shame, if we’re going to whistle those penalties, we’re really destroying football. I don’t like it. If we want everyone to enjoy this football, I think some things have to change,” Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil said after the match.
Espanyol celebrate milestone with club captain
Los Pericos’ win over Alaves was a special one, not just for captain Javi Puado but also to the club themselves.
For Puado, it was his hat-trick that spelled the difference as Espanyol eked out a 3-2 home win over Alaves. His goals have put him joint-second in the league, just one behind La Liga leader Robert Lewandowski.
For the club, it was the first time an Espanyol player scored a hat-trick since Sergio Garcia did back in 2013.
As of writing, Espanyol currently sit 12th in the league, with a good result over Madrid an automatic feather in their caps.
History
Madrid legend Raul remains the top scorer in this fixture, scoring 17 times against Espanyol during his stint at the Bernabeu. ‘La Saeta Rubia,’ Alfredo Di Stefano had 16, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo is third on the list with 15 goals.
The hosts have won their last three La Liga meetings with Espanyol, with Los Pericos looking to end their slump at the Bernabeu, dating back to 1986.
Betting Tip
Overwhelming favourites at the La Liga 2024 betting odds, Madrid beating Espanyol is a matter of when, not if.
Despite their recent run, the lowly Espanyol (11.0) won’t do much to inflict any sort of damage to Real Madrid, with the match looking like an easy win on paper. But if, for some reason, Espanyol are able to salvage a point, then a draw is priced at 6.70—and that is the most chance that I’m giving the Catalans.
There are La Liga 2024 updates that suggest Ancelotti might tweak his lineup, given the fact that Madrid will be playing two league matches in a span of three days with Alaves coming so soon after the Espanyol clash. Regardless, this is an easy win for Madrid, barring anything unusual.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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