Preview: Espanyol vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid will be hoping to keep up the pressure on the sides at the top of La Liga when they travel to Espanyol on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are five points adrift of joint-leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid after 18 games.

The Real coach will feel confident that his side can extend their unbeaten league run to nine matches against an Espanyol team that have lost three of their last six.

Javier Aguirre's men followed up their defeat at Osasuna last week with a shock 1-0 loss at Alcoron in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening.

Real saw off Osasuna 2-0 in the same competition on Thursday.

Suspended captain Sergio Garcia is out for the hosts, but Aguirre will be boosted by the return of Victor Sanchez and Juan Rafael Fuentes, who have both served one-match bans.

Daniel Carvajal and Xabi Alonso could return to the Real side after the pair missed the cup win in midweek.

Recent form

Espanyol: LWLDWL

Real Madrid: WWWDWW

Possible starting lineups

Espanyol: Casilla; Fuentes, Colotto, Moreno, J Lopez; Simao, Sanchez, V Lopez, Fernandez, Stuani; Cordoba

Real Madrid: Lopez; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Alonso, Modric; Ronaldo, Isco, Di Maria; Benzema

Sports Mole says: 0-2