PREVIEW | Espanyol vs Real Madrid: team news, lineups, predictions (La Liga 22/08)

Espanyol and Real Madrid will clash in La Liga at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday, marking their 90th and 96th respective appearances in the competition. Espanyol currently leads the table with three points, while Real Madrid sit in 10th place without a point from their matches this season. Their previous encounter saw Real Madrid triumph 2-0.

However, the rivalry between the two teams is steeped in history. Espanyol has faced Real Madrid 203 times, with the latter emerging victorious 121 times compared to Espanyol's 46 wins. In recent matchups at the RCDE Stadium, Espanyol has had the upper hand, winning 41 out of 101 meetings, with Real Madrid claiming 40 victories.

Looking at the current team news, Espanyol will be without Raúl Asencio due to a muscle injury, and Thiago Pitarch due to a cruciate ligament injury. Real Madrid, on the other hand, is missing Thiago Pitarch due to a cruciate ligament injury.

For Espanyol's last game, they secured a 3-0 victory over Levante. In contrast, Real Madrid's most recent match ended in a 0-3 defeat against Schalke 04. José Mourinho has previously led Espanyol to four wins and two draws against Real Madrid, while Manolo González has secured one win and three draws in their matches against Real Madrid.