Real Madrid secured a 4-1 victory over Espanyol thanks to a standout performance from Vinicius Junior. The match started off with Thibaut Courtois scoring an unfortunate own goal, putting Madrid under pressure. However, Vinicius came off the bench and quickly turned the game around, assisting Dani Carvajal for the equalizer. Rodrygo then tapped in a second goal before Vinicius scored one of his own to seal the victory. Kylian Mbappe added a late penalty to further extend Madrid’s lead.
In the first half, Madrid had several half-chances but struggled to find the back of the net. Espanyol also had their opportunities, with Carlos Romero coming close with a powerful shot that narrowly missed.
Espanyol took an unexpected lead early in the second half when Jofre Carreras’ cross deflected off Arda Guler and went in via Courtois’ legs. However, just three minutes later, Carvajal capitalized on Jude Bellingham’s low drive that squirmed under him.
Vinicius’ introduction proved crucial as he created an assist for Rodrygo’s goal. He then scored one himself to secure Madrid’s victory.
Courtois had little to do aside from picking up the ball from his own net due to his unfortunate own goal. Carvajal was caught out of position for Espanyol’s opener but made up for it by scoring an easy goal later on.
Eder Militao was surprisingly threatening in attack while Aurelien Tchouameni displayed composure at the back. Federico Valverde played a key role in Madrid’s constant pressure and Luka Modric pulled strings with his passing ability.
it was not Mbappe’s best performance but he showed selflessness by assisting Vinicius for one of their goals and also scored a late penalty.
Vinicius received high praise as he played a crucial role in turning around the game after coming off the bench.
