Real Madrid 1-0 Espanyol
It’s not every day that La Liga fans are blessed with frantic, end-to-end football that can leave even the most veteran fans of the game a bit exhausted. However, that’s exactly what happened when Real Madrid welcomed Espanyol in a game that would prove to be an extremely entertaining affair.
The fans that flocked the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium bore witness to fast-paced football that saw both sides battle for the three points. While the Blanquiazules tried everything they could to pull off a great upset, Real Madrid were just too good defensively.
Real Madrid vs Espanyol predictions saw this to be a tough match for Madrid, but it seemed like a complete Madrid domination from where I’m standing. While they seemed questionable on the attack again, a superb solo effort from Marco Asensio helped them secure the three points.
Highlights of the game
The first fifteen minutes of this match is frantic and high-paced, with both teams hungry to get the opener as early as possible. Sure, at times it did end up being messier than it should have been, but the Santiago Bernabeu loved what their team has shown in the opening minutes of the game.
Both sides were pressing high up the line, and Real Madrid were especially intent on overloading Espanyol’s half and keeping the ball there. They had a great chance at gaining the fruits of their labour when Isco made a move in the 15th minute. He received a great pass inside the box and fired a great shot. The ball, however, flew wide of the right post.
The high-paced start could be attributed to the external pressure Real Madrid were experiencing at the moment. Barcelona’s victory, thanks to brilliant goalkeeping from Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, has made rounds on La Liga 2018 news circles and are adding pressure to a team that unexpectedly drew against Athletic Club.
Julen Lopetegui may have pressed his team to be more aggressive before the start of the match, and their aggressive mentality definitely put the pressure on the Periquitos, but their overconfidence almost cost them a goal in the 14th minute. Pablo Piatti received a beautiful pass after a lightning-quick counter, but the ball flew just inches wide over the right post.
However, Los Blancos never really lost sight of what they were supposed to do and kept on pressing on. They still rushed Espanyol, giving them no quarter on their own half. Thibaut Courtois was not afraid to rush whenever the high backline was somewhat caught by surprise through a counter. During the first half, Real Madrid had as much as 73% possession of the football.
It seemed to the 67,658 souls at the Santiago Bernabeu that not a single goal would be made in the first half as Espanyol has built a strong defence. However, Marco Asensio was alone on the left and controlled a wild pass. The future centrepiece of Real Madrid made some space for himself and powered a low-driven effort that whizzed past Diego Lopez.
The defenders called offside, and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz made the VAR signal for verification. Footage revealed Asensio made the run at the perfect time and was not caught offside. The Bernabeu was then allowed to cheer loudly after the decision stood.
The first half ended with a couple of knocks on Casemiro and Sergio Ramos, but nothing could dampen Real Madrid’s mood. They started the second half with the same kind of energy that they showcased in the previous half.
Luka Modric tried to get the ball rolling and add to their account with his runs and corners, but Espanyol did well on limiting the overall contributions of the 2018 World Cup Golden Ball winner.
Borja Iglesias almost spoiled the party when he got the ball just right outside the 18-yard box and fired a howitzer to the goal. Unfortunately for him, the ball crashed off the woodwork and into the possession of relieved Madrid defenders.
Sergio Ramos tried his hand on the goal in the 73rd minute, launching a powerful header towards the roof of the net. However, Lopez was there to stop the lead from ballooning further, frustrating many Real fans.
That eventually became the last chance of the game as Real Madrid didn’t manage to get any more meaningful attacking chances after that. They ended the game 1-0 winners without Gareth Bale, Madrid’s happy star that is making rounds in La Liga 2018 news cycles.
Just imagine what the final score would be if their Welsh ace was actually tapped by Lopetegui to play.
Key statistics
Real Madrid simply overwhelmed Espanyol on every facet of the football match. They had 65% of the ball and made 19 goal attempts. However, they were rather inefficient on the final third as only five of their shot attempts were on target. Eight of them went wide while six were blocked by Espanyol defender.
However, credit must be given to the overwhelming attack of the Galacticos: Espanyol had to make four saves and commit 16 fouls before they were able to settle with a 1-0 final score.
Marco Asensio is having a great run of form for Los Blancos this season. His form jumped from 6.67 last term to 7.48 in just five appearances so far. With the way he has been performing as of late, there’s no reason for Madrid fans to insecure about the club’s future.
What’s next?
Both sides have two games to play in the coming week, and both need the points to progress in the table.
Madrid travel to Sevilla to face a Los Hispalenses side that is underperforming. However, the most important match is their weekend derby game against Atletico Madrid. SBOBET tips will be hard to decipher ahead of this game.
Meanwhile, Espanyol have plenty of opportunities to keep competing for the Europa League places if they manage to contain both Eibar and Rayo Vallecano. Rubi must pick up his men after this loss and make them focus on the task ahead.
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