Madrid: Real Madrid’s impressive winning streak came to a shocking halt as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Espanyol in La Liga. A late goal from defender Carlos Romero sealed the upset, lifting Espanyol out of the bottom three and narrowing Madrid’s lead at the top to just one point after Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 win over Mallorca.
Real Madrid, who recently discovered they will face Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoff round, entered the match with a dominant run—10 wins in their last 11 games across all competitions. Despite controlling possession, they struggled to break Espanyol’s defense. Vinícius Júnior appeared to give Madrid the lead in the 21st minute, but the goal was disallowed after Kylian Mbappé committed a foul on Pol Lozano in the buildup.
Madrid continued to push for a breakthrough, but their missed opportunities proved costly. In the 85th minute, Omar El Hilali delivered a cross that Romero volleyed into the net, sending the home fans into ecstatic celebrations. Espanyol’s victory was unexpected but crucial in their battle to avoid relegation.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid bounced back from a poor run with a 2-0 victory over Mallorca. Giuliano Simeone set up Samuel Lino for the opener in the 26th minute, and despite Rodrigo Riquelme hitting the crossbar late in the game, Antoine Griezmann sealed the win in stoppage time with a classy chip over the goalkeeper.
In other La Liga action, Villarreal crushed bottom-placed Real Valladolid 5-1, strengthening their position in the top five, while Getafe and Sevilla played out a goalless draw. With this result, the title race remains wide open, and Real Madrid will need to recover quickly to maintain their edge at the top.
