Real Madrid will entertain Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday hoping to secure the three points and overtake Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings. Los Blancos are in a fantastic run of form and will be confident about their chances of emerging victorious this weekend.
Zinedine Zidane will once again set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation with Eden Hazard expected to return versus Pablo Machín’s men
4-3-3 Real Madrid Predicted Lineup To Face Espanyol
Defence
Thibaut Courtois will operate in between the sticks for the Galacticos hoping to keep a clean sheet in front of the home supporters. Zidane might continue to play Sergio Ramos alongside Eder Militao at the heart of the Madrid defence after the pair managed to put in an impressive performance versus Alaves last weekend.
Dani Carvajal will assume his defensive duties in the right-back position while Marcelo takes his place on the other side as the left-back. Both full-backs will push high up the pitch to provide adequate ammunition for the front players.
Los Blancos boasts a decent defensive record in the La Liga this season after allowing just 11 goals in 14 matches so far. Hence, the Madrid backline will believe that they can secure a shut-out against the Catalan side.
Midfield
Zidane might choose to go with the midfield three of Federico Valverde, Casemiro and Toni Kroos as they try to dictate the tempo of the game at the centre of the park. The talented trio will be responsible for creating some decent openings in the opposition half.
Luka Modric will be available on the bench and might come on to feature in this clash if required.
Attack
Eden Hazard is a minor concern for this game but should recover from a bruised ankle to start on Saturday. The Belgian winger will focus on using his pace and trickery to cause problems for the Espanyol defenders. Gareth Bale will look to do the same down the right flank.
Karim Benzema has enjoyed a rich vein of form for the Galacticos this season so he will be guaranteed a place in the starting XI for this weekend’s encounter at the Spanish capital.
