Real Madrid suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat against struggling Espanyol on Saturday, dealing a blow to their LaLiga title aspirations. The loss leaves Los Blancos with a precarious one-point lead at the top of the table ahead of next weekend's crucial Madrid derby.
The match was marked by controversy and missed opportunities for the league leaders. Vinícius Júnior thought he had put Madrid ahead in the 21st minute after connecting with Kylian Mbappé's pass, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Mbappé on Espanyol's Pol Lozano during the build-up.
Despite creating numerous chances in the second half, Real Madrid found themselves frustrated by Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who made several exceptional saves to deny Lucas Vázquez, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham. The tension escalated when Espanyol's Carlos Romero escaped with only a yellow card after a dangerous challenge on Mbappé during a counterattack.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed his dismay at the referee's decision, stating, "This foul is inexplicable, the decision they made, the referee, the VAR. The most important thing is to take care of the player and protect him. It was a very bad tackle that risked injury, which fortunately did not happen."
Ancelotti's attempts to change the game's momentum by introducing Luka Modric, Brahim Díaz, and Raúl Asencio proved futile. Instead, it was Espanyol's Romero who emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal in the 85th minute after latching onto Omar El Hilali's through-ball.
The victory was crucial for Espanyol, lifting them to 17th place with 23 points, just above the relegation zone. Match-winner Romero highlighted the significance of the result, telling DAZN, "I think this gives us life, we were playing good matches, competing, we had to suffer ... Our people give us an edge and at home we have to be strong, it's going to be very difficult to take points away from us here."
The result sets up an intriguing title race, with Atlético Madrid closing the gap after their 2-0 victory over Mallorca. Barcelona, currently in third place with 42 points, could further tighten the championship battle depending on their result against Alavés on Sunday.
