Espanyol secured a dramatic victory over Real Madrid, denying Carlo Ancelotti’s side the chance to extend their lead at the top of La Liga.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Real Madrid were caught out on the counter-attack late in the game. In the 85th minute, Carlos Romero found himself unmarked at the back post and calmly slotted the ball past Thibaut Courtois to seal a stunning win for the hosts.
Real Madrid thought they had broken the deadlock in the first half when Vinicius Jr curled a brilliant strike into the far corner. However, the goal was disallowed after Kylian Mbappe was adjudged to have committed a foul in the build-up.
Rodrygo came closest to scoring for Real in the second half, skillfully cutting inside before striking the post. Moments later, Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia produced an outstanding save to deny Mbappe, tipping his shot wide as it curled towards the far corner.
Tempers flared on the Real Madrid bench when Romero was only shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Mbappe. However, it was Romero who had the final say, netting the decisive goal 24 minutes later to lift Espanyol out of the relegation zone.
Adding to Real’s woes, Antonio Rudiger was forced off in the first half with a suspected hamstring injury, raising concerns ahead of their crucial Champions League play-off against Manchester City on February 11.
Ancelotti’s men pushed hard for a late equalizer, with even goalkeeper Courtois venturing forward for a corner, but Espanyol’s defense held firm to hand Real their third defeat of the season and snap their four-game winning streak.
SOURCE: BBC
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