Few observers would have predicted that first place in La Liga would be at stake this Saturday when Espanyol visits Real Madrid.
Yet, an undefeated Espanyol sits third in the standings, just two points behind the league leaders, who have a perfect record from their first four matches. Barcelona is currently second, level on points with their city rivals Espanyol, ahead of their home match against fifth-place Getafe on Sunday at the 6,000-seat Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Espanyol, known as the “Periquitos,” has an opportunity to finish the weekend atop the table. A victory in Madrid, combined with Getafe securing at least a point against Barcelona, would see them move into first place.
This marks a significant turnaround for a club that narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season. Following a summer takeover by a consortium that also owns English club Burnley, Espanyol has strengthened its squad. New signings like English winger Tyrhys Dolan have been impressive, while Marko Dmitrovic has ably replaced goalkeeper Joan García, who was sold to rivals Barcelona. Midfielder Pere Milla has also emerged as a key goal-scoring threat with three goals so far. Espanyol will also draw confidence from their 1-0 victory over Madrid last season.
“Espanyol is in good form, but we also have good energy and want to extend our current run and keep improving,” said Madrid coach Xabi Alonso on Friday.
Madrid will look to capitalize on the exceptional form of Kylian Mbappé. The French forward has scored six goals in five matches this campaign, including a brace in the 2-1 Champions League victory over Marseille this week.
All eyes will be on Marcus Rashford after the English forward scored his first two goals for Barcelona—both spectacular strikes—in a 2-1 Champions League win at Newcastle on Thursday. Coach Hansi Flick praised the Manchester United loanee for his standout performance, and Rashford is likely to return to the starting lineup, with Lamine Yamal’s fitness still in doubt.
For Real Madrid, it remains to be seen if Alonso will start Rodrygo over Vinícius Júnior, who was used as a substitute against Marseille. Alonso emphasized the need to manage his squad through a demanding schedule, stating, “There’s a long way to go; this is a marathon until May… We need to give everyone time: the team and the individual players.”
Yamal has missed Barcelona’s last two matches with a groin injury. Real Madrid will be without right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a muscle injury sustained against Marseille.
Meanwhile, Barcelona is still unable to return to its Camp Nou stadium, which was supposed to be ready for the start of the season after a two-year renovation. The club announced Friday that its Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 will be played at the city’s Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where they have played for the past two seasons. The 55,000-seat venue will allow for significantly more ticket sales than the Estadi Johan Cruyff, where Barcelona defeated Valencia 6-0 last weekend in their La Liga home opener.
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