Real Madrid vs. Espanyol: Complete Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Real Madrid will be hoping to keep its hot streak alive when the La Liga leaders battle Espanyol on Sunday. Madrid has rattled off nine straight league victories since losing to rival Barcelona in December, which has allowed the team's lead to balloon to 10 points.

It's easy to tell when something special is going on for a football team, because everything starts falling exactly into place. That's certainly been the case for Los Blancos as of late.

They didn't play their best against Rayo Vallecano but still managed to pick up all three points.

Things haven't been going as smoothly for Espanyol. The Periquitos haven't won a league game in more than a month, and the injury list continues to grow. They were blown away 4-0 in an earlier matchup with Madrid, so they face a major uphill battle on Sunday.

Where: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain

When: Sunday, March 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN3.com

Betting Odds: Real Madrid -1000, Espanyol +1780, Draw +725

Player to Watch for Real Madrid: Kaka

Kaka has become a forgotten man in the middle of Real Madrid's attack. The former Ballon d'Or Award winner tends to get overshadowed by the attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema, but he's still a vital part of the team's formation.

Even though injuries have sapped some of his pace, he's still one of the most technically skilled players on the planet and would be the biggest star on most other teams. It seems like he's really relished the supporting role, though, as it means there's less pressure on him to perform.

Player to Watch for Espanyol: Alvaro

It's only a matter of time before Alvaro becomes one of La Liga's breakout stars. He's already one of the league's most talented young strikers and possesses all of the skills a team looks for. Once he gains more experience, he'll become a hot commodity.

After getting off to a slow start, he's netted three goals in his last seven appearances. He still doesn't have a defined role with the squad, but if he continues to produce scoring chances manager Mauricio Pochettino will have no other choice but to give him more minutes.

Key Matchup: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Raul Rodriguez

While Madrid keeps attempting to pull away from Barcelona in the table, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have a nice battle of their own going on. Ronaldo currently leads Messi by one goal to lead the league, and he'll be looking to pad that advantage on Sunday.

He'll have to do it against an Espanyol defense that is among the La Liga elite. The Periquitos are allowing barely over one goal per game thanks to strong play in the middle from Rodriguez. His task against Madrid will be to make sure Ronaldo doesn't have too much space to work his magic.

What They're Saying

Real Madrid is dealing with some off-field drama after comments from Manchester City midfielder David Silva about the team's tactics, according to ESPN:

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Silva, 26, joined City for £27 million 18 months ago after advanced talks with Madrid fell through. After the deal, reports in the Spanish media put the blame on Silva's “problematic” lifestyle, but the midfielder has hit back at the accusations.

“If Real Madrid didn't want to sign me, I don't know why these rumours came out, with accusations being thrown around,” he said. “My conscience is clear and I have always been professional.”

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Prediction

Real Madrid 3, Espanyol 0