Real Madrid pulled off a strong comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday to beat Espanyol 4-1, giving yet another demonstration of the LaLiga champion’s attacking prowess.
The entry in the second half of Brazilian Vinicius Junior, who provided an assist and scored a goal, set the pace for the Merengue team’s comeback, which was only complicated by a surprise own goal by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (m.54).
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However, Espanyol’s joy lasted just four minutes, having arrived at the Casa Blanca inspired after two consecutive victories. In a play identical to that of the Catalans’ goal, Jude Bellingham came in from the left and sent in a cross that was half-stopped by the rival goalkeeper.
Dani Carvajal (m.58) appeared to push the ball into the back of the net, leveling the score and setting the table for a new Real Madrid comeback, this time led by Vinicius Junior who did not take long to help the home team take the lead.
It was in the 75th minute through Rodrygo. The Brazilian forward finished off a spectacular cross from the left by his compatriot, who hit the ball with the outside of his right foot, taking the Espanyol defense by surprise.
Rodrygo’s goal finally gave Carlo Ancelotti’s team some peace of mind, as they continued to dominate but struggled to score. The goal finally opened the floodgates for more goals to come and Real Madrid achieved their third consecutive victory in this league after a somewhat weak start.
Vinicius himself added to the lead after a combination with Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman sent him a long ball and the Brazilian beat the opposing defenders to send a low cross-shot to the left post, making it 3-1 (m.78).
In the final stretch of the match, there was a penalty for the Whites and the one in charge of taking it was Mbappe. Maintaining the order of a penalty for Vini and one for him, this time the Frenchman also did not miss from the twelve steps and put the final 4-1 for the victory of Real Madrid.
After a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart in the Champions League opener in midweek, Carlo Ancelotti’s team added their fourth straight win on Saturday and are now in second place in the Spanish league, one point behind FC Barcelona, who play Villarreal on Sunday.
With a packed schedule, coach Carlo Ancelotti made several changes to his starting line-up, giving regulars such as Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy a rest. Madrid will play at home again on Tuesday, hosting Alaves.
After finding himself at a disadvantage, Ancelotti sent “Vini” onto the field and the Brazilian responded first by giving his fourth assist of the season and shortly after his third goal of the championship.
Despite the difficult match, Mbappe already has four goals in the championship and six in all competitions.
“We are slowly returning to our best form,” said Carletto. “It was a good match, from the start, complete. We have played much better, with more rhythm and opportunities. We played with more speed and better movements,” said the coach. Pressed by the press gallery, who reminded him of his words before the match, in which he said that the Chamartin public liked, above all, guitar strumming, at the end, amidst obvious signs of exhaustion, he admitted. “Yes, it was a rock and roll match.”
The only cause for concern for Madrid, aside from the forced comeback, was the physical problems of Carvajal and Bellingham. The full-back went off just after scoring the equalizer. “He’s hurt, with a knock. Nothing particularly serious,” said Ancelotti. The Englishman was again hurt in his left shoulder, the same one he had problems with all last season, which forced him to wear a brace for months. Against Espanyol, in the seventh minute, he went down to clear a ball and ended up with pain in the same area, although he returned soon and played almost the entire game. “We’ll see how they react tomorrow [on Sunday]. It doesn’t seem worrying at all,” said the Italian at the end of a night in which Real Madrid played their 38th consecutive league game without losing.
