Real Madrid were handed a disappointing 1-0 defeat by Espanyol on Sunday at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat. The shock loss leaves the reigning La Liga champions just one point ahead of Atletico Madrid, who secured a comfortable victory earlier in the day.
Espanyol, fighting against relegation and sitting in 17th place, secured a crucial win thanks to a late goal from Carlos Romero in the 85th minute. Real Madrid, who were favorites for the match, were left frustrated after Romero’s cynical foul on Kylian Mbappe went unpunished with only a yellow card, before he netted the decisive goal moments later.
Real Madrid had little to show for their efforts throughout the match. They struggled to break down Espanyol’s defense, especially in the first half, where they were largely contained. The team was dealt another blow when Antonio Rudiger limped off injured, just weeks before their important Champions League play-off against Manchester City.
Vinicius Junior’s first-half goal was ruled out after Mbappe was adjudged to have fouled his marker in the build-up, a decision that left the Madrid players unhappy. At the other end, Espanyol’s Jofre Carreras had a low shot saved by Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, in what was one of their few attacks of the first half.
Madrid seemed more dangerous in the second half. Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia made crucial saves, first denying Jude Bellingham and then getting down to block Mbappe’s strike from a tight angle.
The visitors were also aggrieved by a reckless slide tackle from behind on Mbappe by Romero, which only resulted in a yellow card. Madrid’s Rodrygo also had a chance, but his shot was narrowly wide, and Garcia managed to stop a fierce strike from Mbappe.
Just as Madrid seemed to be building momentum, a swift counter-attack from Espanyol led to the winning goal. Omar El Hilali delivered a cross for Romero to volley home at the back post, leaving Madrid stunned. Despite seven minutes of added time, Los Blancos could not find an equalizer, and Espanyol celebrated a vital victory, while Madrid’s late hopes were dashed when Mbappe’s shot went over the bar.
In contrast, Atletico Madrid moved closer to the top of the table with a convincing 2-0 win against Mallorca earlier in the day. Samuel Lino put Atletico ahead with a well-taken goal in the 26th minute, and Antoine Griezmann sealed the win in stoppage time with a stunning lob.
Atletico’s victory saw them close the gap to Real Madrid to just one point, setting up a thrilling derby match between the two teams next weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Atletico’s coach, Diego Simeone, celebrated his 500th La Liga match in charge of the club with the three points. “I’m very happy for this journey, no doubt… it makes me very happy,” he told reporters after the match.
