Real Madrid vs. Espanyol: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Real Madrid's stunning La Liga form this season suffered a minor blip when Carlo Ancelotti's pace-setting squad tasted defeat in Valencia. Now Catalan club Espanyol could be the unfortunate target for Madrid's wrath.
Manager Sergio Gonzalez's team slipped to a very disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Eibar last time out in La Liga action. But Espanyol are still sitting solid at 10th.
Yet Gonzalez will be wary about the damage a Madrid side with a point to prove could inflict.
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Ancelotti's table-toppers still lead the way in Spain's top flight. But with their lead now reduced to a mere one point over Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Los Blancos can't afford another slip.
Here's the schedule and viewing information:
Date: Saturday, January 10
Time: 3 p.m. (GMT)/10 a.m. (ET)
TV: Sky Sports 5 (via red button at 5:15 p.m.)/beIN Sports USA
Live Stream: Sky Go; beIn Sports Connect.
Preview
It's been a surprisingly tough week for Los Merengues. Not only did they fall 2-1 to Valencia, they also suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie with hated neighbours Atletico.
The sudden but minor blip immediately sent Ancelotti on the defensive. He quickly dismissed suggestions of a crisis, per Sky Sports.
Ancelotti's bravado is warranted. However, it ought to concern the cerebral coach that his star-studded team has found the net just once in two games.
That's not like Ancelotti's version of Los Blancos. A forward line featuring players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale has found goals easy to come by this season.
The latter was criticised after the cup humbling, but Ancelotti insisted the problem was deeper than Bale, per another report from Sky Sports: "I am happy with the way that Bale is playing and he was not at fault for the (Atletico) defeat. The problems were caused by the opposition and generally we didn't have many chances.
The lack of creativity referenced by the Italian coach is a surprise. Ancelotti started pass-master Toni Kroos and clever advanced schemers Isco and James Rodriguez in the cup.
He needs that trio to rediscover its guile and forward-thinking swagger back in league action. Kroos could be key. He has nine assists in La Liga and UEFA Champions League action this season, per WhoScored.com.
The 25-year-old will also be buoyed by having received an accolade from home, per Madrid's official Twitter feed:
The distinction was awarded to Kroos following a poll conducted by the German Football Federation, per Marca. If a confident Kroos is allowed time and space in possession, Madrid will own the ball and pull the Espanyol defence apart.
Obviously, that's something Gonzalez's team will try and guard against. Midfield bruiser Jose Canas will need to be particularly destructive.
Up front, the pace of powerhouse striker Felipe Caicedo and the invention of creative forward Sergio Garcia will need to combine to engineer opportunities on the counter.
Gonzalez is wisely playing his cards close to his chest. He's refused to confirm whether his team will go on the attack or sit back and stifle, instead leaving both options open, per Inside Spanish Football writer Heath Chesters.
But despite the manager's cagey demeanour, the smart money would be on a cautious approach from the visitors.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Espanyol
Madrid will endure an early wobble but soon recover from the shock to take the lead. Expect to see more chances created than in recent matches, with Kroos and Rodriguez key figures.
