Real Madrid suffered a very surprising defeat from its host Espanyol by a clean goal, in the match that was held for the 22nd round of the Spanish League.
The attempts of the Merengue were ongoing throughout the match, but they were met with the brilliance of Espanyol’s defense or bad luck, as happened with Rodrygo’s shot that hit the post.
In the 85th minute, and against the course of the match, Espanyol surprised its guests with a goal by Carlos Romero from Omar Al Hilali’s cross, which he easily converted into Thibaut Courtois’ net.
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The match witnessed Antonio Rudiger leaving the field in the first half due to an injury that did not seem easy, in a new blow that increases coach Carlo Ancelotti’s troubles in the center of defense.
Perhaps the defeat came at a bad time for Real, a week before hosting neighbor Atletico Madrid in the capital derby at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Merengue’s balance froze with the defeat against Espanyol at 49 points, and the difference with the Rojiblancos decreased after their victory over Mallorca on Saturday, to one point.
The opportunity has also become favorable for Barcelona to get closer to the two leaders, as in the event of a victory over Alaves, the difference between the Catalans and the capital’s giants will become only 4 points.