Sports
Espanyol Shock Real Madrid with 1-0 Win, Tightening La Liga Title Race
- Real Madrid suffer a 1-0 defeat to Espanyol, with Carlos Romero’s late strike sealing victory.
- Controversial moments as Romero escapes with a yellow card for a foul on Mbappe before scoring.
- Atletico Madrid close the gap to one point ahead of next weekend’s Madrid derby.
Real Madrid suffered a surprising 1-0 loss to struggling Espanyol on Sunday, leaving them with only a one-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Carlos Romero’s 85th-minute goal secured a crucial victory for Espanyol, who are battling relegation and are currently in 17th place.
Atletico Madrid closed the gap to one point with a 2-0 win over Mallorca earlier in the day, setting up a critical derby clash against Real Madrid next weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Real Madrid were left fuming after Romero’s late strike, having been denied a clear advantage when the referee only issued a yellow card for a cynical foul by Romero on Kylian Mbappe. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were disappointing overall, failing to create enough chances to deserve anything from a match that appeared favourable on paper.
Espanyol frustrated the Spanish and European champions throughout the first half, and Madrid suffered a setback when Antonio Rudiger was forced off with an injury just before the break, with their upcoming Champions League tie against Manchester City on the horizon.
Vinicius Junior thought he had scored with Madrid’s best chance of the first half, but the goal was ruled out after Mbappe was adjudged to have fouled his marker. Espanyol’s only significant attack came from Jofre Carreras, whose low shot was comfortably saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Madrid came out more aggressive in the second half, with Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia making saves from Jude Bellingham and Mbappe, who also struck the post from a narrow angle.
Los Blancos were furious when Romero was only booked for a reckless slide tackle on Mbappe as he sprinted past him. Rodrygo had two chances, one going wide and the other saved by Garcia, while Mbappe saw another powerful strike tipped over the bar.
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But Madrid’s efforts were undone by a quick Espanyol counter-attack, with Omar El Hilali’s cross finding Romero, who volleyed in at the back post for the match-winning goal.
Despite seven minutes of added time, Real Madrid failed to pose any real threat, and Espanyol celebrated their unexpected victory when Mbappe blasted a final chance over the bar.
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