Controversy Strikes as Real Madrid Loses to Espanyol, Opening the La Liga Race!
Real Madrid suffered an unexpected loss in their visit to Barcelona and dropped three important points before the big duel against Atlético de Madrid next week, in a match where Ancelotti's men were unable to crack Espanyol's defensive lock, a goal in the 85th minute sealed the defeat and left the league in on fire. With this result, Los Blancos now have only one point advantage over Atleti, who will go into the derby with the opportunity to take the lead. For their part, Espanyol is celebrating a surprise victory that momentarily takes them out of the relegation zone and gives them some breathing room in the fight to stay up in La Liga next season.
From the start of the game, Madrid came up against a well-positioned Espanyol, with a double defensive line that frustrated any attempt at attack. The first half was a nightmare for Los Blancos, with just three shots and the bad news of Rüdiger's injury, who had to be replaced by Asensio. Vinicius scored an amazing goal with an unstoppable shot, but the referee ruled it out for a previous foul by Kylian Mbappé, triggering controversy on the Real Madrid bench for the decision. With few clear chances, Ancelotti's men went into the break with more doubts than certainties, while the Italian coach continues to find no clear solutions in close games, something that has already generated criticism among the fans since the Supercopa defeat.
The second half showed a more aggressive Madrid, with Rodrygo almost scoring on a clear chance and a persistent Mbappé who came up against a wall called Joan García. The Espanyol goalkeeper became the star of the match with a recital of saves, including a spectacular save with the tips of his fingers from a shot by Mbappé that already looked like a goal. When the tie seemed set in stone for Los Blancos, an error in Modric's exit unleashed a lethal counterattack. Omar El Hilali crossed with precision and Carlos Romero appeared in the area to finish coldly and give the pericos the victory. Meanwhile, Madrid's lack of reaction puts Ancelotti back in the eye of the storm, as the team continues to show difficulties in coming back in this type of match.
Espanyol handled the final stretch intelligently, driving Madrid to despair without answers. With this victory, the Pericos are out of the relegation zone and await the result of Alavés, while Real Madrid are on the ropes. Now, with just one point advantage over Atlético, next Saturday's derby will not only be a clash of maximum tension but could completely change the course of La Liga. In addition, the pressure on Ancelotti only increases: will he manage to find the key in the derby or will he continue to leave doubts?
