Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid kick-start their 2026/27 La Liga campaign with an away game against Espanyol.
Espanyol have already won their first league game and will be looking to build on it when they host Real Madrid, who are gearing up for their first official game since the return of Jose Mourinho to the club.
The home team finished 11th last season, and they are hoping for a much improved campaign this time around. Espanyol have certainly made a promising start with a dominating 3-0 win over Levante in their first game of the season.
They created more chances and made the most of them. Roberto Fernandez bagged a brace, while Tyrhys Dolan also got his name on the scoresheet. It was a very promising performance, but now they have a massive challenge at hand as they will be hosting a star-studded Real Madrid squad.
Los Blancos will be hoping to get their new era under Jose Mourinho underway with a win when they travel to Barcelona to face Espanyol. After back-to-back trophyless seasons, Florentino Perez has brought back the Portuguese mastermind to get things in order, and there have already been promising signs during pre-season.
The team in white have added quite a few faces to the mix, while retaining their core. They will certainly push hard to ensure they secure all three points here. Anything other than a win won’t be an ideal start for them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Javi Puado (ligament) and Kike Garcia (hamstring) this weekend, while Leandro Cabrera is suspended for this fixture.
Espanyol are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Marko Dmitrovic starting between the sticks. Omar El Hilali and Roger Hinojo should feature as the full-backs, while Clemens Riedel is likely to pair up with Unai Nunez in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Edu Exposito and Urko Gonzalez de Zarate should form the double pivot; they will look to shield the backline and ensure Los Blancos do not enjoy too much of easy possession.
Further forward, Javi Hernandez and Tyrhys Dolan are expected to operate on the flanks, providing width, pace and creativity. Alex Calatrava should take up the number ten role and look to create chances in the final third, while Roberto Fernandez will continue to lead the line and look to add to the brace he bagged in their opening game.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo; Exposito, de Zarate; Hernandez, Calatrava, Dolan; Fernandez
Los Blancos will be without quite a few of their first-team players, as Eder Militao (thigh), Ferland Mendy (ligament), Raul Asencio (muscle), Thiago Pitarch (knee), Endrick (muscle), and Rodrygo (cruciate ligament) are all injured.
Real Madrid are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Thibaut Courtois starting between the sticks. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella should feature as the full-backs, while Antonio Rudiger is likely to partner Dean Huijsen in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde should form the double pivot, with the duo tasked with providing defensive cover while also helping Real Madrid control possession and dictate the tempo.
Further forward, Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler are expected to operate on the flanks, providing width, pace and creativity. Jude Bellingham should take up the number ten role and look to link midfield with attack, while Kylian Mbappe is expected to lead the line for Real Madrid against Espanyol. With Bellingham likely to make constant runs into the box, Guler might stay deeper and try to release Mbappe and Vinicius.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Silva; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
While Jude Bellingham only had eight goals and five assists last season, he had a stellar World Cup campaign and will certainly be heading into the new campaign with a lot of confidence. Jose Mourinho is likely to give the English international a lot of freedom offensively, which should help him create some of the magic he displayed in his debut campaign under Ancelotti.
All eyes will be on the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, but Bellingham might be the one who steals the spotlight with his brilliance on both ends of the pitch.
Espanyol should provide a stern test for Real Madrid after their impressive opening-day win. The home side have already shown that they can be clinical in the final third, but keeping Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham quiet for 90 minutes will be a completely different challenge.
Real Madrid’s quality should eventually prove decisive, particularly if Bellingham is given the freedom to make late runs into the box and Guler can find space between the lines. Espanyol could cause problems on the counter, but Los Blancos should have enough control and firepower to secure all three points and give Mourinho the perfect start to his second spell at the club. The Hard Tackle predicts a comfortable 3-1 win for the team in white.
