Jose Mourinho has returned to the Real Madrid dugout for the second time in his career this season, a full 13 years after he last took charge at the Bernabeu.
A surprising appointment, certainly, but Real needed a manager who is able to handle the different egos within the dressing room so, In that regard, there is perhaps no one better.
Mourinho will he hoping to lead Los Blancos to glory but that may be easier said than done, considering his relatively low success rate over the last eight seasons with just one trophy to his name, albeit having been at clubs less mighty than Real.
Espanyol have already opened their La Liga campaign, securing a 3-0 victory over Levante last week at the RCDE Stadium, but they will be expecting a much sterner test on Saturday.
Espanyol v Real Madrid Tips Summary
Best Bet - Kylian Mbappe to score at any time @ 4/6
Alternative Bet - Both teams to score - Yes @ 19/20
Bet Builder - Real Madrid to win, Over 2 goals, Roberto Fernandez 1+ shot on target & Pol Lozano to be booked @ 10/1
Espanyol v Real Madrid Prediction
Best Bet: Kylian Mbappe to score at any time @ 4/6
A huge shining light for Real last season was the form of Kylian Mbappe, who ended 2025/26 having scored 42 goals across 44 appearances in all competitions.
He then headed to the World Cup and promptly scored another 10 goals, leaving North America with the Golden Boot award.
Not only did he become the first player in World Cup history to claim that award in back-to-back tournaments, but he is also now the record World CUp goalscorer with 22 goals.
Mbappe enters the 2026/27 season in the form of his life and he will be itching to get off the mark early against Espanyol, particularly as he hasn’t won either La Liga or the UEFA Champions League since moving to Real in 2024.
In three games against Espanyol, Mbappe has scored twice, including one goal in the only game he played against the Parakeets last season, and he is the biggest goal-scoring threat on show.
Alternative Bet: Both teams to score - Yes @ 19/20
While Real look likely to score, Espanyol have scored in four of the last six meetings between the two clubs and they have hit the ground running with three goals in the win over Levante.
The hosts also have a game in their legs, while Real are coming into their opener having conceded against Leganes, Fiorentina and Ferencvaros in pre-season.
With Mourinho perhaps still working out his best options and players still settling in, armed with home advantage, Espanyol could have plenty of opportunities in front of goal.
Espanyol v Real Madrid Bet Builder
- Real Madrid to win
- Over 2 goals
- Roberto Fernandez 1+ shot on target
- Pol Lozano to be booked
Pays 10/1
Real do boast a far greater head-to-head over Espanyol in recent years, winning 17 of the last 20 meetings.
Espanyol have sealed three victories during that time, however, and all three have came at the RCDE Stadium.
This might give Manolo Gonzalez and his side a glimmer of hope, but Mourinho should get his first competitive victory as manager of Real since June 1 2013.
Four of Real’s five friendly matches featured three or more goals, while all but one of Espanyol’s games saw three or more goals being scored.
Espanyol were very dangerous last weekend, taking 16 shots during their 3-0 win over Levante. Facing Mourinho and his men will be a step up in quality, but the home side could well make a match of this game so expect several goals across the 90 minutes.
Roberto Fernandez was the main man for Espanyol on matchday one, scoring twice in the first half to help his side secure all three points.
He managed only seven goals throughout the whole of last season, but his opening-day performance should boost his confidence against the clash with Real.
Fernandez might not score another brace, but he could prove to be a handful and expect him to test the keeper on Saturday.
With Real expected to enjoy plenty of periods of dominance, that could lead to a rash challenge or two, and Pol Lozano looks worthy of consideration for a booking.
Only Jose Angel Carmona with 13 was given more yellow cards than Lozano (12) and he could get himself in trouble against this star-studded Real line-up.
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Key Match Stats
- Real Madrid won each meeting with Espanyol last season 2-0
- Espanyol have won two of the last eight head-to-heads with both wins coming at home
- Kylian Mbappe was La Liga's leading goalscorer last season with 25
- The France ace scored 42 times in 44 appearances in all competitions for Real last term
- Espanyol won their opening La Liga match for the second season in a row by defeating Levante 3-0 last weekend
- Pol Lozano was joint-second in La Liga last season with 12 yellow cards
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
