Espanyol take on the visitors Real Madrid in the round 22 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Saturday, February 1st at RCDE Stadium (Cornella de Llobregat).
Espanyol once again at risk of confirming their "yo-yo club" reputation. The Periquitos have always lived in the shadow of their city rivals, Barcelona. However, the club has had its moments of success and has always maintained ambitions of competing at a higher level. That said, qualifying for European competitions has remained out of reach for quite some time, while relegation battles have become a recurring theme. While they have always managed to bounce back quickly, their return to La Liga in 2024 came only after navigating the playoffs. Now, all their focus is on staying in the top flight—perhaps their early Copa del Rey exit to lowly Barbastro was a strategic decision. In any case, it hasn’t helped much, although Espanyol has shown some resilience in winter, managing to pick up points and even securing a crucial win over direct rivals Real Valladolid. Their recent 1-1 draw with Sevilla was another positive result. Despite their struggles, Espanyol remains a tough side to break down at home, especially against inconsistent opposition.
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Real Madrid were the undisputed number one last season—dominating domestically by winning La Liga and the Supercopa while also adding yet another Champions League title to their collection. However, consistency has been a major issue this time around. They did claim the Spanish Super Cup in August and the Intercontinental Cup in December, but after the new year, they suffered their second heavy defeat of the season to Barcelona. In the Champions League, the reigning holders have already lost three times in 2024 but also secured three wins. January saw them cruise to comfortable victories against Red Bull Salzburg and Brest, though neither was a high-level opponent. Their league form has been just as inconsistent, dropping points at crucial moments. After a heavy home defeat to Barça, it seemed like the title race was over—only for their rivals’ poor run to bring it back to life. Atlético Madrid had also looked strong, but with their recent struggles, Madrid’s dominant win over Valladolid allowed them to pull further ahead. Real Madrid’s attacking depth has been key in recent weeks, with their firepower making up for occasional defensive lapses.
The Royal Club has won 8 of the last 9 meetings, including the last 4 in a row. Their most recent clash ended in a dominant 4-1 victory for Madrid in September. The visitors are significantly stronger and have found their rhythm.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win with a -1.5 handicap.
