Real Madrid have delayed Barcelona’s La Liga title celebrations with a 2-0 victory against Espanyol.
Vinicius Junior scored twice in the second half of the must-win game for Los Blancos. With this win, Real Madrid move 11 points behind leaders Barcelona with 12 games left to play.
Vinicius Junior’s Double Keeps Madrid in the Race
Vinicius Junior was the hero, scoring twice for Real Madrid. The Brazilian’s goals came in the second half. Marko Dmitrovic made another save to deny Real Madrid a third goal.
Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono, only 18 years of age, got a shot away from the edge of the box. But Marko Dmitrovic got low to make the save, denying the Argentine a second La Liga goal of the season.
Carlos Romero almost scored for Espanyol, but Andrii Lunin made a good save.
Barcelona’s Title Hopes Rest on El Clasico
Real Madrid deny Barcelona the La Liga title but only for the time-being with an away victory at Espanyol.
Barcelona’s title celebrations will have to wait as Real Madrid look comfortably on top here now. It means their incredibly-slim title hopes alive but they will next face Hansi Flick’s in-form Barca in El Clasico next week where anything less than a Real Madrid win will hand back-to-back titles to the Blaugrana.
Barcelona will have the chance to seal back-to-back La Liga titles if they avoid a defeat in next week’s El Clasico.
Match Details and Substitutions
Five minutes were added on at the end of the second half. Urko Gonzalez de Zarate received a yellow card for pulling on the shirt of Real Madrid’s Cesar Palacios.
Vinicius Junior was substituted along with Aurelien Tchouameni, with Cesar Palacios and Eduardo Camavinga replacing them. Manolo Gonzalez and Espanyol brought on three more substitutes: Pere Milla, Jofre Carreras and Kike Garcia replaced Tyrhys Dolan, Ramon Terrats and Roberto Fernandez.
Gonzalo Garcia received a caution for a reckless challenge on Urko Gonzalez de Zarate.
Real Madrid will next face Hansi Flick’s in-form Barca in El Clasico next week.