MX23RW : Wednesday, February 5 15:02:25| >> :60:709:709:
[monks data]
Attendance: 19,805
Espanyol logo
La Liga
Feb 27, 2018 at 7pm UK
 
Real Madrid logo

1-0

Moreno (90')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Team News: Gareth Bale leads Real Madrid line at Espanyol, Cristiano Ronaldo misses out

Gareth Bale will lead Real Madrid's forward line against Espanyol in the absence of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, as boss Zinedine Zidane makes five changes.

Gareth Bale will lead Real Madrid's forward line against Espanyol in the absence of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Los Blancos' famed 'BBC' forward trio all netted in the 4-0 win over Alaves at the weekend - the first time that has happened since April 2016.

Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has opted to rotate for the midweek trip to the RCDE Stadium, however, as Benzema drops down to the bench and Ronaldo misses out on the 18-man squad entirely.

With an eye on next week's crucial Champions League last-16 second-leg tie at Paris Saint-Germain, Zidane has instead turned to in-form attacker Marco Asensio to support Bale in one of five changes from last time out.

Captain Sergio Ramos returns from suspension and Marcos Llorente is also handed a rare start - his third of the season - taking over from the absent Casemiro, who is out with a stomach complaint.

As far as the home side are concerned, they will be led by top scorer Gerard Moreno, boasting 10 goals in 24 La Liga outings this term, while support will be offered by Pablo Piatti and Sergio Garcia.

Central midfield is comprised of Carlos Sanchez, Sergi Darder and David Lopez, meanwhile, as the Periquitos look to climb the table from their current position of 18th.

Espanyol: Diego Lopez; Navarro, Victor Sanchez, Duarte, Aaron; Darder, David Lopez, Carlos Sanchez; Piatti, Gerard, Sergio Garcia
Subs: Paul Lopez, Naldo, Jurado, Baptistao, Didac, Roca, Granero

Real Madrid: Navas; Achraf, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Nacho; Llorente, Kovacic; Lucas Vazquez, Isco, Asensio; Bale
Subs: Kiko Casilla, Carvajal, Theo, Dani Ceballos, Oscar, Borja Mayoral, Benzema

Follow all of the action as it unfolds in Catalonia with Sports Mole's live text coverage right here.

ID:319696: cacheID:319696:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4170:
Written by
Daniel Lewis
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring during the La Liga game between Getafe and Real Madrid on October 14, 2017
Read Next:
Zinedine Zidane: 'Ronaldo is a team player'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid22154350212949
2Atletico MadridAtletico22146237142348
3Barcelona22143560243645
4Athletic Bilbao22118333201341
5Villarreal22107544331137
6Rayo Vallecano228862624232
7GironaGirona229493130131
8Osasuna227962731-430
9Mallorca2293101928-930
10Real BetisBetis227872528-329
11Real Sociedad2284101819-128
12Sevilla227782430-628
13Celta Vigo2274113135-425
14Getafe225981717024
15Las PalmasLas Palmas2265112736-923
16Leganes225891930-1123
17Espanyol2265112133-1223
18AlavesAlaves2256112534-921
19Valencia2247112237-1519
20Real ValladolidValladolid2243151547-3215


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!