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La Liga 2016-2017: Real Madrid vs Espanyol, Preview, Prediction & Predicted Lineup

| Feb 16, 2017 03:10 AM EST

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Current league leaders Real Madrid CF (15-1-4, 49 points) will look to extend their winning run to four games as they meet middling squad RCD Espanyol (8-6-8, 32 points) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Feb. 18, Saturday in a 2016-2017 La Liga season match.

Start Time and Streaming Info

The game starts at 10:15 a.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.

Real Madrid has won three consecutive matches after their stunning 1-2 loss to Sevilla four rounds ago. It was the team's fourth loss of the season as they remain on top of the Spanish top flight table, only one point ahead of defending champions and arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

Los Blancos is coming off a 3-1 victory over cellar-dwellers CA Osasuna on the road at the El Sadar Stadium last Saturday, as per Daily Mail Online.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 24th minute with an amazing move to squeeze in a shot Italian goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu off an assist by Karim Benzema.

Osasuna was able to equalize in the 33rd minute via a chipping shot by Spanish forward Sergio Leon, making it a 1-1 count at the halftime break.

However, head coach Zinedine Zidane's squad netted two goals in the second half of the match, courtesy of Isco and Lucas Vazquez in the 62nd minute and in stoppage time, to complete a three-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Espanyol snapped their own three-game winning run after falling to contending squad Real Sociedad, 1-2, at their home ground of RCDE Stadium last Friday, SkySports reported.

Sociedad forward Carlos Vela netted the first goal of the match in the 26th minute with a left-footed shot from the center of the box before Paraguayan midfielder Hernan Perez leveled the count nine minutes later with a right-footer off a pass by Jose Antonio Reyes with a through ball.

The visitors then scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 61st minute with a shot by Spanish midfielder Asier Illarramendi, handing head coach Quique Sánchez Flores's side their second loss in five games.

Prediction and Predicted Lineup

The predicted result is a 3-0 rout by Real Madrid.

Real Madrid starting lineup (3-5-2 formation): Navas; Varane, Ramos, Nacho; Danilo, Modric, Casemiro, Isco, Marcelo; Benzema, Ronaldo

Espanyol starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Diego Lopez; Navarro, David Lopez, Reyes, Martin; Gullon, Jurado, Fuego, Reyes; Caicedo, Gerard 

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