LaLiga leaders Real Madrid were stunned as lowly Espanyol snatched a late 1-0 win thanks to Carlos Romero’s strike.
Vinicius Junior thought he had given Madrid a 21st-minute lead, latching onto Kylian Mbappe’s pass before curling a wonderful strike into the back of the net. However, the goal was disallowed after the Frenchman had fouled Pol Lozano in the build-up.
The visitors upped the pressure in the second half as Jude Bellingham forced a smart stop out of Joan Garcia before Mbappe smacked the outside of the post with the rebound.
Lucas Vazquez and Mbappe also saw efforts saved in the second half, while Rodrygo struck the foot of the near post after a wonderful jinking run down the right.
After brilliantly holding Madrid at bay, Espanyol found a late winner, with Romero meeting Omar El Hilali’s cross on the volley to fire past a helpless Thibaut Courtois in the 85th minute.
Madrid remain top after failing to find a late winner but are now just one point clear of Atletico Madrid after their win earlier on Saturday. Espanyol moved out of the relegation zone and into 17th with the three points.
