Real Madrid may finally flipped a switch. The club put together one of their most impressive performances last week in a 2-0 win over Sevilla, and they are now looking to build off of that victory. It’s still a long haul to catch league leaders Barcelona, but they can’t be ruled out just yet with the league season just a little more than halfway over. This Sunday, Real Madrid will head to Catalonia to take on Barcelona’s city rival Espanyol. Espanyol have seen their fortunes wane over the last couple months, but they are still in the middle of the table.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from RCDE Stadium in Cornella, Spain at 2:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 27, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
Spanish La Liga Betting at BookMaker.eu
Espanyol +312
Real Madrid -123
Draw +278
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Espanyol are sitting in 13th place with a record of 7-3-10 ahead of this match. The club leaned on its defense heavily to get off to a strong start, but injuries led to a turn of form, and this is no longer the defense we saw at the beginning of the year. In their first 11 matches, Espanyol allowed just nine goals, and they were able to slow down some of the top offenses in the league. They have given up 21 goals in their last nine matches now, and they are 1-0-8 in those matches.
They may be scoring late, but Real Madrid fans have to let out a tentative sigh of relief that their club is at least scoring again. Real Madrid used a late Dani Ceballos goal to best Real Betis on the road two weeks ago, and last week they didn’t score until Casemiro broke the deadlock 78 minutes in against Sevilla.
Injury Report
At least two Espanyol defenders will not be playing in this match. Oscar Duarte has been battling a hip injury, and he is expected to be out for another few weeks, while Adria Pedrosa is going to miss one more week with a strained hamstring. Espanyol are hoping that Naldo will be able to return from a leg injury, as not having him would really stretch them thin at the back. The club will also be without midfielder David Lopez because of a strained hamstring.
Who isn’t injured on the side of Real Madrid? The club has nine players listed on its injury report ahead of this match. Franchu has been lost for the season due to a knee injury, while Jesus Vallejo is out for another month with a thigh injury. Keylor Navas, Toni Kroos, Marcos Llorente, and Karim Benzema are all questionable to play, but Santi Solari is hopeful that Gareth Bale, Mariano Diaz, and Marco Asensio will be fit to return since they are back in training.
Player to Watch
With so many injuries and problems at the back, Luka Modric has stepped up in a big way. Modric was asked to take on more of a scorer’s role by Solari a few weeks ago, and he has netted in each of the club’s last two matches. The Ballon d’Or winner has been consistently great throughout the club’s struggles, and he will look to get on the scorer’s sheet for the third straight match.
Real Madrid Clean Sheet +166
Although Real Madrid have not been great in the back this season, this is too much value to pass up. Espanyol don’t have a lot of weapons on the attack, and Real Madrid have posted a clean sheet in three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This game is likely to be choppy as Espanyol tries to double down in the back to secure a result, but Real Madrid are likely to get three points here.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Real Madrid 2, Espanyol 0
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