Espanyol 1-0 Real Madrid: Los Blancos Shocked By Struggling Espanyol In Crucial La Liga Game
Real Madrid was left shocked after a 1-0 La Liga loss to 18th-placed Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. Ancelotti's side created great chances but came up against an opposition goalkeeper in fine form.
Despite the loss, Los Blancos stayed on top of the standings by one point after Atletico Madrid had won 2-0 against Mallorca.
🏁 @RCDEspanyol_EN 1-0 @RealMadridEn
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 1, 2025
⚽ 85' Carlos Romero.
👉 @Emirates pic.twitter.com/z116UvZ1g4
Real Madrid Frustrated By Struggling Espanyol
The first ten minutes produced no chances, with Espanyol sitting deep, looking to counterattack any loss of possession from Real Madrid. However, Los Blancos kept the ball well, looking to unlock the compact defense.
Despite the calm opening start to the game, Carlo Ancelotti did see center-back Antonio Rudiger pick up what looked like a knee injury. The German was replaced by Raul Asencio, with Los Blancos hoping it's not a long-term problem.
Vinicius Jr. thought he had given Real Madrid the lead in the 21st minute, but it was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Kylian Mbappe just before the Brazilian fired in the shot.
Kylian Mbappé was called for this foul before Vini Jr.'s overturned goal. pic.twitter.com/21Atgbwwsk
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 1, 2025
The first half ended goalless, and Real Madrid needed to up the tempo to create more scoring opportunities.
Madrid started the second half much stronger. Jude Bellingham tested the goalkeeper with a fierce shot, and Kylian Mbappe hit the post with a follow-up. The away team pushed more men higher up the pitch, which meant Espanyol had opportunities to create counterattacks.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, Real Madrid knew time was counting down. Bellingham and Vinicius Jr.'s long-range shots did not trouble the goalkeeper, and the team needed to stay calm when in possession.
Ancelotti was starting to think it wasn't the team's night, with Rodrygo hitting the post and Mbappe seeing his shot incredibly saved by the Espanyol goalkeeper.
The later into the second half, the deeper the Budgerigars sat, with Madrid piling pressure on. However, the home team scored in the 85th minute, thanks to Carlos Romero. The defender was lucky to be on the pitch after escaping a red card for a tackle on Mbappe earlier in the half.
ROMERO GIVES ESPANYOL THE LEAD OVER REAL MADRID LATE IN THE MATCH 😱 pic.twitter.com/XUoNVSyoTl
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 1, 2025
Madrid pushed for a late equalizer but couldn't find the crucial goal. They stay one point ahead of rivals Atletico, with the Madrid derby next up on February 8.
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Jordan Merritt is a freelance soccer writer who covers Real Madrid CF On SI. He is an obsessive soccer fan and an Arsenal supporter.