Espanyol Barcelona – Real Madrid: probable line-ups

Real Madrid travel to face Espanyol this Saturday, August 22, on Matchday 2 of La Liga, with kick-off scheduled for 9:30 p.m. What starting XI will José Mourinho choose for his first league match back in charge of Los Blancos?

Mourinho’s men are finally ready to begin their La Liga campaign after a particularly busy summer. Real Madrid have significantly strengthened their squad during the transfer window, bringing in several high-profile players, and some of the new arrivals are already expected to play major roles from the opening game.

Mourinho’s first La Liga starting XI

The Portuguese coach spoke to the media on Friday morning and, unsurprisingly, one of the main questions concerned his starting lineup against Espanyol. Mourinho, however, refused to reveal his plans and gave no clear indication regarding the eleven players who will start at the RCDE Stadium.

Supporters will therefore have to wait until shortly before kick-off on Saturday evening to discover the official lineup. Nevertheless, the pre-season matches have provided several clues about Mourinho’s tactical ideas and the players currently ahead in the race for a starting place.

The Real Madrid coach is expected to maintain the 4-2-3-1 formation he used throughout pre-season. In goal, there is little doubt: Thibaut Courtois should start after making a successful return during the friendly victory over Schalke 04.

In defence, two summer signings could immediately be handed starting roles. Denzel Dumfries is the favourite to occupy the right-back position, while Marc Cucurella could start on the opposite side. In central defence, Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rüdiger appear to be Mourinho’s preferred partnership for the moment.

The biggest questions concern midfield. Real Madrid have several top-level options, meaning Mourinho will have to make important choices from the very first competitive match. Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde are strong candidates to form the double pivot, providing a mixture of technical quality, intelligence, work rate and physical intensity.

Ahead of them, Jude Bellingham could operate as the attacking midfielder, although Arda Güler remains another serious option after impressing during the pre-season campaign.

The attacking trio appears more predictable. Vinicius Junior should start on the left wing, while new signing Yan Diomandé is expected to occupy the right side. The young Ivorian has made a strong impression since arriving in Madrid and could be handed his first La Liga start immediately.

Up front, Kylian Mbappé remains the undisputed favourite to lead the attack. After scoring against Schalke in Real Madrid’s final pre-season friendly, the French superstar will be looking to begin the league campaign in the best possible way.

Espanyol probable XI: Dmitrović; El Hilali, Riedel, Unai Núñez, Hinojo; Urko González, Edu Expósito; Calatrava, Javi Hernández, Dolan; Roberto Fernández.

🎙️¿Cuál va a ser el primer once del Real Madrid?

🗣️ José Mourinho: "El primer once de Mou, vamos a ver de vosotros quién tiene MEJORES CONTACTOS."

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