A brace from substitute Alvaro Morata helped Real Madrid to win their final La Liga fixture of the season against Espanyol this afternoon.
Gareth Bale opened the scoring for the hosts after the restart, before Morata claimed his first goal of the contest.
Pizzi reduced the arrears late on, but Morata made sure of the outcome in stoppage time.
Here, Sports Mole has looked back over the match to determine if the result was a fair one.
Match statistics
Real Madrid
Shots: 17
On target: 7
Possession: 62%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 9
Espanyol
Shots: 13
On target: 2
Possession: 38%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 8
Was the result fair?
Football is all about taking your chances and no truer is that statement than today. Despite having far less of the possession, Espanyol created a handful of good opportunities, but could only convert one of them late on. For that reason alone, Madrid deserved the three points.
Real Madrid's performance
Los Blancos played like a side with little to play for domestically and a Champions League final on the horizon. They were often laboured in possession, with the likes of Angel Di Maria and Isco nowhere near their creative best. It meant that at times before he limped off, Karim Benzema was isolated. Yet, they still won the match and ended the season on a high note. What will be of big concern to Carlo Ancelotti, though, is the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo injured himself in the warm-up, while Benzema also had to come off.
Espanyol's performance
The Espanyol dressing room will probably be left thinking of what might have been. They mounted just one attack during the first half, seemingly content to collect a 0-0 draw. Yet, with the shackles freed after the restart, they created some good openings, but failed to convert them.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Kiko Casilla: If any Espanyol player didn't deserve to end up on the losing side, it was their goalkeeper. He may have shipped three goals, but it shouldn't deter from the fact that he put in a positive performance. He made a handful of saves and was also happy to come off his line to either punch clear the ball or hold it. Time and again that ability relieved the pressure on his side.
Biggest gaffe
Having fallen behind 90 seconds earlier, Simao had a golden opportunity to draw the visitors level almost immediately. He was left all alone inside the area, but when the ball eventually arrived at his feet, he shot wide of the target when it looked easier to score.
Referee performance
As neither side had anything to play for, it was never going to be a fiery contest for David Fernandez to contend with. He kept his cards in his pocket and wasn't overly fussy like some of his fellow officials. Instead, he opted to enforce the advantage rule whenever the chance arose.
What next?
While Espanyol are done for the season and can head on to their respective holiday destinations, Real will be in action next Saturday in Lisbon against rivals Atletico Madrid, who stand in their way of a 10th European crown.
Liam Apicella
