Espanyol vs Real Madrid: Los Blancos set up tasty El Clasico by beating Barcelona's rivals

A sensational performance from Vinicius Jr helped Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0, effectively delaying Barcelona's coronation until at least the El Clásico.

A quickfire second-half brace from the Brazil international ensured that Álvaro Arbeloa’s men secured all three points, setting the stage for a monumental El Clásico next weekend, where Hansi Flick’s Blaugrana will have the chance to officially clinch the title against their fiercest rivals.

With Kylian Mbappé notably absent from the squad, Real Madrid's front line lacked a clinical edge. Hence, they dominated the contest but were forced to endure a deeply frustrating, goalless first half against a resolute Espanyol side.

Los Blancos suffered an early setback when left-back Ferland Mendy was forced off the pitch due to injury. Arbeloa was prompted into an early change, introducing Fran García

The highlight of the first-half came when Espanyol's Omar El Hilali was initially shown a straight red card for a heavy challenge on Vinícius Júnior. However, following a tense VAR review, the referee overturned his initial decision, downgrading the punishment to a yellow card and keeping the hosts at full strength.

Seeking a creative spark after a scoreless first 45 minutes, Arbeloa made a decisive double substitution early in the second half. He introduced Franco Mastantuono for Thiago Pitarch and swapped Brahim Díaz for Gonzalo García.

The tactical changes paid immediate dividends. Substitute Gonzalo García made an impact, setting up Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian winger cut inside the penalty area, beat his man, and fired a powerful strike past Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Real Madrid doubled their advantage with a moment of pure quality. Jude Bellingham execute a brilliant backheel pass to release Vinícius Júnior inside the box. The forward confidently struck the ball first-time into the top corner to complete his brace and put the game to bed.

Espanyol pushed for a late consolation, with Kike García threatening from a corner, but the Real Madrid defence held firm. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin easily managed the late pressure, securing a vital clean sheet for the visitors.

The 2-0 victory takes Real Madrid to 77 points, reducing the gap to league leaders Barcelona to 11 points with just 12 points left to play for in the campaign. 

While the LALIGA title is all but mathematically decided, Arbeloa’s squad has ensured that Barcelona must fight for it in next week's El Clásico.

For Espanyol, the defeat leaves them positioned in 13th place with 39 points. Comfortably clear of the relegation zone, the Parakeets will be searching for attacking answers as they look to finish their season on a high note.