Espanyol vs Real Madrid Match Preview
Sunday's late game features Jose Mourinho's Galacticos visiting Cornella-El-Prat, one of the toughest stadiums in the Spanish League. Mauricio Pochettino's Pericos must take the three points to keep up with Valencia's pace in the chase for the last Champions League qualifying place.
Jose Mourinho recovers Portuguese international Pepe for this clash, and perhaps his fellow countrymen Ricardo Carvalho gets a chance to join the starting eleven, along with Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.
Jose Mourinho tests Emmanuel Adebayor in the attacking trident, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, with Mesut Ozil advancing from the right wing. Lass Diarra and Xabi Alonso will be occupying the center of the midfield.
Having scored in the last friendly games, both Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema have been relegated to the bench, as Mourinho wants to do whatever it takes to better understand the inner functioning of his squad.
Espanyol misses defender David Garcia, and this becomes a vital problem for the hosts considering Victor Ruiz's departure during the winter. At least Pochettino recovers midfielder Raul Baena from injuries, eager to associate with Javi Marquez.
Jose Callejon, Luis and Sergio Garcia can become Madrid's worst nightmare if not kept under a close watch. A victory can take Espanyol one step closer from the Champions League, but it would also doom Real Madrid to a Sisyphean quest to defy Barcelona's leadership.