LaLiga: Real Madrid Title Race Suffers Set Back After Facing Espanyol

Real Madrid’s bid to retain the LaLiga title suffered a significant setback on Saturday night, as they fell to a shocking 1-0 defeat at Espanyol.

The loss marks a disappointing turn of events for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who were expected to dominate the league.

The match’s turning point came in the 21st minute when Vinicius Jr. thought he had scored the opening goal, running onto a pass from Kylian Mbappe.

However, the referee disallowed the goal, ruling that Mbappe had committed a foul on Espanyol’s Pol Lozano in the build-up.

Despite their best efforts, Real Madrid struggled to break down Espanyol’s defense in the second half.

Lucas Vazquez, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham all had their shots saved by goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who put in an impressive performance to keep Los Blancos at bay.

The decisive moment came with just five minutes left on the clock, as Espanyol’s Carlos Romero latched onto a pass from Omar El Hilali and scored the winning goal.

The victory was a significant upset for Espanyol, who moved up to 17th in the table with 23 points.

The result has significant implications for the LaLiga title race, with Real Madrid now holding a slender one-point lead over Atletico Madrid, who beat Mallorca 2-0 earlier on Saturday.

Barcelona, who are currently third with 42 points, will have the opportunity to narrow the gap when they face Girona on Sunday.