Zinedine Zidane’s men maintained their one-point advantage over Barcelona at the summit of the standings with a 3-1 triumph over last-placed Osasuna last time out. Madrid were made to work for the three points and were far from their best at Estadio El Sadar – particularly in the first half – but goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco and Lucas Vazquez ultimately settled the game in the visitors’ favour. It was another important win for los Blancos, who responded to Barcelona’s hugely impressive 6-0 thrashing of Alaves earlier in the day in ideal fashion, with their one-point lead at the top further boosted by the fact that they have also played two matches fewer than their rivals on the other side of the Clasico divide.
Espanyol succumbed to a home defeat when they last took to the field, going down 2-1 to Real Sociedad on Friday night. Quique Sanchez Flores’ side remain in the hunt for the Europa League qualification spots, though, with sixth-placed Villarreal still well within reach of the Catalan club. The fact that their team has emerged victorious from only one of their last five games away from home in all competitions may not fill supporters of Espanyol with confidence, although Sanchez Flores’ men should be fresher than their upcoming opponents given that Real Madrid are scheduled to play host to Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash on Wednesday evening.
Zidane once again showcased his tactical flexibility in Madrid’s success against Osasuna, when his players lined up in a 3-5-2 formation. The league leaders will probably return to a four-man backline on Saturday afternoon, however, with Nacho the central defender who is most likely to drop out; further forward, Lucas Vazquez will hope to be included in the front three alongside Karim Benzema and Ronaldo. Gareth Bale remains sidelined with an ankle problem, but Madrid have no other injury concerns at the time of writing.
Espanyol should have Victor Sanchez available once more following a leg injury, but Pablo Piatti and Pape Diop are both expected to miss this weekend’s trip to the capital. In recent weeks, Sanchez Flores has tended to favour a 4-2-3-1 formation and will probably employ the same shape against Madrid, with striker Gerard Moreno Espanyol’s chief goal threat.
Taking everything into account, it is probably worth putting your money behind a Real Madrid victory in this one. Zidane’s charges have, for the most part, been reliable and consistent in the Spanish top flight this season, and they should have too much quality for the Catalan side. Los Blancos’ midweek exertions in the Champions League may have an effect, though, which is why the best option for Saturday’s clash could be a home win with both teams to score at the Santiago Bernabeu. In the anytime goalscorer market, Sergio Ramos would be a wise outside bet.
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