Espanyol vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
Staring down a trophyless season, Real Madrid travel to Catalonia to face Espanyol on Sunday night, needing a win to keep their slim La Liga title hopes alive.
Los Blancos will hope that May brings better results than April, a month where they won just once in six games to exit the Champions League and fall 11 points back of Barcelona in La Liga. Following a dramatic 1–1 draw away at Real Betis last time out, Álvaro Arbeloa's men need to win their remaining five games and hope for a major Blaugrana collapse.
Espanyol are still fighting for European soccer next season, so they have something to play for as they welcome Los Blancos to RCDE Stadium. Los Periquitos have had a dreadful 2026, but a win on Sunday would put them firmly back in contention.
Barcelona's win on Saturday against Osasuna has left Los Blancos no margin for error. Failure to defeat Espanyol will see Hansi Flick's side arrive at next weekend's El Clásico as back-to-back La Liga champions, meaning Arbeloa's men could have to give their bitter rivals a guard of honor at the Camp Nou.
It will take a miracle for Real Madrid to finish the season as Spanish champions, but Arbeloa's men must show some pride and have a strong end to the campaign. A win on Sunday, and El Clásico next weekend will be a can't-miss affair.
Espanyol vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction
Los Blancos Set Up El Clásico Title Showdown
Style points won't necessarily matter at this stage, Los Blancos must escape with three points no matter what. Fortunately for Madrid, Espanyol's recent form suggests they are the perfect adversary to get a confidence-boosting result.
With Barcelona winning on Saturday, Real Madrid must respond and defeat Espanyol on Sunday. The image of the Blaugrana taking the pitch at Camp Nou next week already crowned the champions should be enough motivation for Arbeloa's side to break out of their slump and deliver a strong performance.
- Head-to-head record: Real Madrid have won 25 of the last 30 matches against Espanyol, with Los Periquitos winning only three of those meetings.
- Espanyol‘s winless 2026: Espanyol finished 2025 sitting comfortably in the European competition places, but everything changed once the calendar turned to 2026. Manolo González's side are winless in the 16 games they've played this year.
- Los Blancos better without Mbappé: Kylian Mbappé will miss the match with a fresh injury, but it could be beneficial for Los Blancos, who have enjoyed better results without the Frenchman as of late. Without Mbappé in the XI, Los Blancos won five of six games in May, before Mbappé returned and started throughout Madrid's awful April run.
Prediction: Espanyol 1–2 Real Madrid
Espanyol Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid
Gonzalez will have to work around the absence of midfielder Pol Lozano, who will miss the clash after and unforgivable red card received just three minutes into his cameo against Levante last time out. Javi Puado is the only other notable absence.
Pere Milla and Tyrhys Dolan will once again operate on the wings. But after trialing a 4-2-3-1 formation last time out, Gonzalez might revert back to a 4-4-2, allowing Roberto Fernández to return to the XI, partnering Kiké García as a second striker.
Espanyol's defense remains unchanged, with Leandro Cabrera and Fernando Calero leading a backline that must be stout to have any chance of winning on Sunday.
Espanyol predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-4-2): Dmitrović; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Dolan, González, Expósito, Milla; García, Fernández
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Espanyol
Injuries have decimated Los Blancos in recent weeks, and Arbeloa won't be able to call upon Mbappé, Éder Militão or Arda Güler, who all have suffered significant injuries over the past 10 days.
Brahim Díaz, Gonzalo García and Dean Huijsen should all feature from the start as injury replacements, and with Aurélien Tchouaméni's status also in doubt, Castilla graduate Thiago Pitarch could also earn a start.
But it's not all bad news for Madrid. Star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returned to training this week and could play his first game since mid-March to get in game-shape before El Clásico.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Espanyol (4-4-2): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Mendy; Valverde, Pitarch, Bellingham, Díaz; García, Vinicius Jr.
What Time Does Espanyol vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Stadium: RCDE Stadium
- Date: Sunday, May, 3
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. BST
How to Watch Espanyol vs. Real Madrid on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, fuboTV |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player |
| Canada | TSN 2, TSN+ |
| Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+ |
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 10:00 PM.