Espanyol Vs. Real Madrid 2016 La Liga: Preview, Prediction, Possible Lineups, Betting Tips, And Live Stream


Real Madrid will travel to Catalonia to face Espanyol in La Liga as the league leader looks to extend their winning run.

Date, Kick-off time, and Venue

The game will take place on September 18, 2016, at RCDE Stadium. The kick-off times for various time zones are provided below.

  • UK time: 7:45 p.m
  • USA time: 2:45 a.m.
  • Pacific time: 11:45 a.m.
  • Kenyan time: 9:45 p.m.
  • UAE time: 10:45 p.m.
  • Indian time: 12:15 a.m.
  • Malaysia time: 2: 45 p.m.

Espanyol: Preview

Espanyol is winless in La Liga this season, having one defeat and two draws from three games. Their first game against Sevilla was a crazy encounter as the game ended with 10 goals. Espanyol, however, came out on the losing side; they lost the match 6-4.

After a draw in their second game against Malaga, Espanyol faced Real Sociedad in the last game, although the result was same — the game ended 1-1.

The good news for Espanyol is that the team have no any injury problems. However, the bad news is Javi Fuego’s unavailability due to the red card accumulated in the Real Sociedad game.

Real Madrid: Preview

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating his goal in the Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon.jpg
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating his goal in the Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon [Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]

Real Madrid won the match, but not without difficulties. Cristiano Ronaldo again was the hero for Real, with the forward scoring a sensational free-kick a few minutes before the final whistle. Alvaro Morata netted the winner for Madrid after James Rodriguez played a curling cross into the box.

Watch the Real Madrid goals here.

https://twitter.com/TheFantasyFB/status/776344785879764992

Morata is almost sure to start against Espanyol ahead of Karim Benzema after a fine display in the last game. The Spanish striker was brought back from Juventus this summer, the only significant signing for Real Madrid in this transfer window.

James Rodriguez had a great impact vs. Sporting despite arriving as a substitute, as he set up the winner for Real.

Gareth Bale is doubtful for Real Madrid as he had a knock on his knee, as reported by Sky Sports.

Midfielder Isco will not play any part in the game, nor will Keylor Navas and Fabio Coentrao. Kiko Casilla will keep his place in Real Madrid following the absence of the Costa Rican goalkeeper.

Starting Lineups

Espanyol Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Diego Lopez; Javi Lopez, David Lopez, Duarte, Sanchez; Perez, Roca, Piatti, Jurado; Moreno, Baptistao.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Casilla; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Nacho; Modric, Kroos, Casimiro; James, Morata, Ronaldo

TV Schedule and Channel

In the United States, the game will be live on beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Espanyol, and fuboTV (free trial). In the U.K., the match will be live on Sky Sports 1/HD UK, Sky Go UK, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports 3/HD UK, and NOW TV UK. You can also watch the game at the live stream link provided at the end of this article.

Espanyol Vs. Real Madrid: Head-to-Head (H2H)

alvaro-morata-and-james-rodriguez-celebrating-the-winner-in-the-champions-league-opening-match
[Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]

Total matches: 38
Real Madrid win: 27
Espanyol win: 5
Draw: 6

The last time these two teams met was in January of 2016 in which Real Madrid won the game 6-0 thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Espanyol Vs. Real Madrid: Prediction

Despite playing at home, Espanyol are underdogs for this tie due to the sheer quality of Real. The Catalan club has to approach the game wary of the threat posed by Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, and they have to try to hit Madrid on the counterattack.

However, we don’t think Espanyol will take any points from Real in this game.

Final Predicted Score: Espanyol 1 – 3 Real Madrid

Espanyol Vs. Real Madrid: Betting Tips and Odds

(The odds were provided by Paddypower.)

  • Espanyol win: 6/1
  • A draw: 4/1
  • Real Madrid win: 4/11
  • Over 2.5 goals: 4/9
  • Under 2.5 goals: 13/8

Espanyol Vs. Real Madrid: Live Stream

The match can be watched live streaming online at the link here. The link will be updated just before kick off.

[Featured Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]

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