Militao and Mbappé derail Espanyol

Barcelona125 days later, Espanyol, the League's most fashionable team, lost again. However, with their heads held high and on the pitch of Real Madrid, the league's top team and winners of every game this season. A surprising shot from 35 yards by central defender Militao triggered the first defeat of the season for Manolo González's team, who arrived at the Bernabéu with the possibility of taking the lead if they achieved an unprecedented victory, one that hasn't been seen for thirty years, since the era of L. Mbappé, the undisputed leader of a civil servant Real Madrid, finished it off with another work of art.

In Madrid, with the flag

Without the iconic Pere Milla, the blue and whites' top scorer of the season, but with the recovered Edu Expósito, who in Madrid moved from midfield to attacking midfield, Espanyol debuted in the capital of Spain his equipment with the flagAnd he did it bravely, without even venturing into his own area: in the 46th second, the player from Cubelles had already tested Courtois, who didn't even flinch to stop Expósito's shot. If Manolo González has shown anything, it's that he has personality and doesn't back down against any opponent; and what's more, he already knows what it's like to win at Real Madrid, which they did last February in Cornellà-El Prat.

With the team well organized at the back and a very neat ball output, largely thanks to the presence of Urko González alongside Pol Lozano, from the start, the Pericos contained, without too many problems, the top scorer Mbappé and Vinícius, who returned to the eleven after eleven after eleven after eleven, getting closer to scoring than his rival.

Militao knocks down the blue and white wall

But the Blue and Whites were without Éder Militao, who started the scoring midway through the first half. Not with a header or a set piece, as was expected, but with a shot from his own net in a seemingly harmless move, which was the Madridistas' first shot on goal of the entire match. Nothing could be done for Dmitrovic, who touched the ball before it went into his top corner.

From the 1-0 lead, Xabi Alonso's team took control of the game and began to chip away at an Espanyol side that found itself trailing on the scoreboard without deserving it and only got close to the opponent's goal through set pieces. Just before halftime, Calero came close to equalizing with a free kick from Edu Expósito, before a clear shot that Kylian Mbappé, assisted by Vinícius, sent wide just as a large portion of the stadium was already cheering for a second.

The 2-0, in the 47th minute, came from a combination between the Brazilian and the Frenchman, who, envious of Militao, scored another stunning goal with a superb shot from outside the box. The more than 700 million euro difference in salary caps between Real Madrid and Real Madrid was evident in both decisive moments. There was little else to tell. Tired after the European match, Madrid, following the principle of minimum effort, refused to give any blood; only a shot off the post from Vinícius woke the fans who had fallen asleep watching the match from their slump. And Espanyol, despite Manolo González's substitutions, were unable to turn around a match that was decided from long range.