Real Madrid Faces Espanyol as La Liga Battle Continues
Real Madrid hosts Espanyol this Saturday as the battle for the top of La Liga tightens. With Barcelona leading the table, the white team sits second and must close the gap by beating Espanyol to keep the pressure on the Catalan giants.
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Benzema Out as Real Madrid Prepares for Espanyol
Carlo Ancelotti will be without Karim Benzema, a key figure in the attack, who is sidelined with a right ankle issue following a knock sustained against Betis. The injury list also includes David Alaba, who is still working his way back, and Antonio Rudiger, who did not participate this week due to minor discomfort and was left out to avoid risk.
Despite the setbacks, Ancelotti opted for a stable lineup, choosing not to rotate against Espanyol after a light week. The starting eleven includes Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo. Rudiger remains on the bench as a precautionary measure.
Espanyol Arrives with Injury Doubts
Diego Martínez faces several uncertainties for Espanyol. The most notable are Javi Puado and Brian Olivan, who are not fully fit and whose participation remains unclear. If Puado cannot play, Leandro Cabrera is likely to replace him, given his experience as a left back in his early career. Pierre-Gabriel could also slot in, using a different leg. Nico Melamed could feature if Puado is unavailable, while a five-man defense remains a possibility, pushing Melamed to the bench and handing starting roles to Cabrera and Pierre-Gabriel.
Espanyol will be eager to put up a strong fight against the reigning Spanish giants, aiming to disrupt the home team’s rhythm and pick up valuable points on the road.
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LINEUPS OF REAL MADRID VS. ESPANYOL
Real Madrid (1-4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Camavinga; Tchouameni, Kroos, Modric; Valverde, Rodrygo and Vinicius
Espanyol (1-4-2-3-1): Pacheco; Oscar Gil, Montes, Sergi Gomez, Cabrera; Vinicius Souza, Sergi Darder; Embarba, Melamed, Braithwaite; Joselu
WHEN AND WHERE IS REAL MADRID VS. ESPANYOL
THE CALLS FOR REAL MADRID VS. ESPANYOL
For now, the team sheets are not known. Neither side has officially announced their starting XI yet.