The Spanish Referees' Committee has appointed José María Sánchez Martínez to referee the Real Madrid vs. Espanyol clash on Saturday at the RCDE Stadium, part of La Liga's second round. The match, Real Madrid's La Liga debut, will take place in the evening. Sánchez Martínez, born in Murcia, is one of Spain's top first-division referees and a strong World Cup candidate, though Alejandro Hernández Hernández was chosen instead.
Second Espanyol-Real Madrid encounter
Saturday's match will be Sánchez Martínez's second league game between the two teams. Their first meeting on February 27, 2018, ended in Real Madrid's 0-1 home defeat, a memory still fresh for the club. This will be the referee's La Liga debut this season, though he already officiated a Champions League qualifier.
Real Madrid most frequent under Sánchez's whistle
Real Madrid has faced Sánchez Martínez in 42 La Liga matches, with 27 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses. Their last match under him was in Round 37 of last season, a 1-0 win over Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Earlier, in Round 30, Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Real Mallorca, marking the start of their title hopes fading.
Espanyol seeks to continue positive record
Sánchez Martínez has officiated 13 Espanyol matches in La Liga, with the club securing 5 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses. His last game with Espanyol was in Round 15 of last season, a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano. Espanyol's recent three matches under him all ended in victories. Jorge Figueroa Vázquez will serve as VAR.
