Preview for Espanyol v Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho makes his return to the Real Madrid bench for a competitive fixture on Saturday night when his side take on Espanyol.

Mourinho joined Madrid for a second time over the summer after his first stint ended in acrimony and disappointment in 2013.

He will be tasked with bringing a sense of unity to a dressing room that often appeared fractured last season and boiled over when Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni had an altercation that left the former requiring hospital treatment.

Mourinho has been backed in the transfer market by president Florentino Perez with club-record signing Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva all moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.

But he has had to integrate several of those players slowly – as well as members of the existing squad – due to the World Cup.

Mourinho said: “There are players that have had 36 training sessions and five [pre-season] matches and others who have had one game and five training sessions. But we have been able to work with everyone.  

“I am very happy with the situation. If you ask me if I’d like one more week, then yes. But we are tired of friendlies. We don’t love this job because of friendlies. We want real matches.”

Mourinho is relishing his return to a major European contender after it appeared his career was on a downward trajectory.

Asked if he was feeling the pressure, he added: “I wouldn’t say pressure, I would say adrenaline. It’s positive. The day I don’t feel it, there’s something wrong. I don’t feel pressured by debuts or soccer games. I have a lot of confidence in the work we have done. A lot of confidence in the ambition of the players, in their mentality, the passion they show me. It’s a difficult game, but tomorrow when we travel we will do it with the conviction that we will return with the three points.”

A trip to Barcelona to face Espanyol is not an easy opener, especially after Manolo Gonzalez’s side cruised past Levante 3-0 last weekend.

“They are a good team,” said Mourinho. “Teams that have had the same coach for a long time are well-prepared teams with routines, dynamics. They play well, with ambition. I really liked the first game and there they are, with three points, three goals scored, zero conceded, the fans happy. We are prepared for what we are going to find.”

Espanyol midfielder Urko González de Zárate made his debut in the 1-0 win over Madrid in February 2025 and is targeting a repeat outcome.

“I remember that game with great joy,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “We were able to beat Madrid and hopefully that result can be repeated on Saturday. With the players we have we can stand up to anyone.

“I think the important thing is to do well what we always do. Come out well and strong. In the end we play at home and that has to be noticed and obviously against this type of team like Real Madrid, you have to be not one hundred percent but 110% to be able to get something out of it.”

La Liga Table

Team News for Espanyol v Real Madrid

Kike García (hamstring) and Javi Puado (knee) are ruled out for Espanyol, after a summer in which the club made just three permanent signings and two loan additions. Leandro Cabrera is suspended.

Endrick is out while Tchouameni won’t be considered as he works his way back to full fitness. Long-term injury victims Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Raul Asencio (thigh) and Ferland Mendy (hip) remain sidelined.

Jude Bellingham and Diomande may start on the bench after a short pre-season.

Expected line-ups for Espanyol v Real Madrid

Espanyol: Dmitrovic; El-Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo; Gonzalez, Lozano; Calatrava, Hernandez, Dolan; Fernandez

Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Huijsen, Konate, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo; Diaz, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe

Recent Form & Stats for Espanyol v Real Madrid

• Espanyol have won 46 and lost 119 of their previous 201 matches against Real Madrid
• Real Madrid’s five pre-season games resulted in four wins and a draw
• Real Madrid won both games between these sides 2-0 last season
• Espanyol finished 11th in La Liga this season but gained most of their points before Christmas

Where to Watch Espanyol v Real Madrid: TV and online streams

Espanyol versus Real Madrid kicks off at 8.30pm UK time tomorrow night. You can watch it on Disney+ in the UK and ESPN in the United States.

Prediction for Espanyol v Real Madrid

Although Madrid are likely to be slightly undercooked due to a shortened pre-season for many of their World Cup stars, they ought to have too much quality for an Espanyol side who will certainly make it difficult.

Espanyol

1 – 2

Real Madrid