Real Madrid face referee Sanchez Martinez in Espanyol opener, recalling 2018 defeat

Real Madrid will begin their La Liga campaign against Espanyol on Saturday with Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez appointed as referee – a familiar name who brings an unhappy memory for the Spanish champions.

The match will take place at the RCDE Stadium and is Real Madrid’s first league fixture of the new season after their opening-round game was postponed.

Sanchez Martinez, who was born in Murcia, is regarded as one of Spain’s leading top-flight officials. According to Mundo Deportivo, he was strongly considered for a place at the World Cup this summer, but the final selection went to his compatriot Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez.

Saturday’s meeting will be only the second La Liga match between Espanyol and Real Madrid to be overseen by Sanchez Martinez.

The previous one came on 27 February 2018, when Espanyol beat Real Madrid 1-0 at home. That result remains the most significant memory attached to the official’s involvement in this fixture, and will add an extra point of interest when the teams meet again.

The appointment also marks the start of Sanchez Martinez’s La Liga season. He has already refereed one match in the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Champions League this campaign.

Real Madrid are the team he has officiated most often in La Liga, having taken charge of 42 of their matches. Under his supervision, the club have recorded 27 wins, seven draws and eight defeats.

His most recent Real Madrid match came on the final day of the previous season, when they defeated Sevilla 1-0 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in May. The match before that ended in a 1-0 defeat by Mallorca in the 30th round, a result that marked the point at which Real Madrid began to lose hope of competing for the league title.

By contrast, Espanyol’s overall record with Sanchez Martinez is more evenly balanced. He has refereed 13 of their La Liga matches, in which they have collected five wins, three draws and five defeats.

Espanyol’s latest game under his direction was in the 15th round of last season, when they beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 at home. The Catalan club also go into Saturday’s fixture with a particularly positive recent record involving Sanchez Martinez: their last three matches with him in charge have all ended in victory.

Jorge Figueroa Vazquez will serve as the video assistant referee (VAR) for the meeting at the RCDE Stadium.