Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe played decisive roles to inspire Real Madrid to a 3-1 victory over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mbappe threatened to find the breakthrough in the first quarter as he saw his close-range effort kept out by Joan Garcia, before he forced the Espanyol goalkeeper into another save with a powerful driven effort.
Real Madrid continued to pile the pressure on Espanyol in a dominant first period, but they were unable to find the all-important breakthrough before the break.
Surprisingly, it was Espanyol who broke the deadlock in the opening stages of the first period as Thibaut Courtois diverted the ball into his own net from Jofre's driven cross.
Real Madrid ultimately produced a swift response to that setback, with Dani Carvajal netting from close range after Joan Garcia failed to deal with Jude Bellingham's low ball across goal.
Substitute Vinicius then took control of the contest, providing an exquisite cross for Rodrygo to put Real Madrid ahead.
The 24-year-old then turned from provider to scorer, latching onto Mbappe's pass before slotting a left-foot strike into the bottom corner.
There was still time left in the contest for Kylian Mbappe to dispatch an 88th-minute penalty to score in a fourth consecutive game for Real Madrid.
The result extends Real Madrid's unbeaten league run to 38 matches and moves them to within one point of Barcelona, who will face Villarreal on Sunday.
REAL MADRID VS. ESPANYOL HIGHLIGHTS
Courtois own goal vs. Real Madrid (54th min, Real Madrid 0-1 Espanyol)
Espanyol lead at the Bernabéu 😱
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 21, 2024
Thibaut Courtois doesn't cover himself in glory as Real Madrid fall behind 😬 pic.twitter.com/wWhVY6FD3N
Espanyol stun the Santiago Bernabeu. The visitors take the lead after soaking up enormous amounts of pressure in the first period. Jofre latches onto Garcia's long ball forward, before driving into the box and seeing his low cross diverted into the net by Courtois's left boot.
Carvajal goal vs. Espanyol (58th min, Real Madrid 1-1 Espanyol)
Real Madrid require just four minutes to restore parity. Bellingham's ball across goal squirms through Garcia's grasp, leaving Dani Carvajal with the simple task of thumping home from close range.
Rodrygo goal vs. Espanyol (75th min, Real Madrid 2-1 Espanyol)
What a cross by Vini Jr 🪄
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 21, 2024
Real Madrid finally lead against Espanyol as Rodrygo scores from close range ⚪ pic.twitter.com/GGYRmpIfSw
The reigning champions complete the turnaround thanks to two of their Brazilian stars. Vinicius uses the outside of his right boot to produce an inch-perfect cross for Rodrygo to turn home his second goal of the season.
Vinicius goal vs. Espanyol (77th min, Real Madrid 3-1 Espanyol)
Just moments after providing an assist, Vinicius scores Real Madrid's third goal to put the game out of the visitors' reach. Espanyol lose possession in their own half, allowing Mbappe to race towards the edge of the box before teeing up Vinicius to slot home a left-foot strike.
Mbappe goal vs. Espanyol (88th min, Real Madrid 4-1 Espanyol)
The referee points to the point after Carlos Romero pulls back Endrick in the box. Mbappe steps up to send Garcia the wrong way to score from the spot in a third consecutive league game.
MAN OF THE MATCH - KYLIAN MBAPPE
© Imago
Mbappe would have been frustrated after failing to take advantage of his chances to break the deadlock in the first half.
However, he ultimately showcased his quality in the second period, setting up Vinicius for Real Madrid's third goal before keeping his composure to score from the penalty spot.
Impressively, the Frenchman created seven chances in the contest, highlighting the threat he offered throughout the match.
REAL MADRID VS. ESPANYOL MATCH STATS
Possession: Real Madrid 73%-27% Espanyol
Shots: Real Madrid 31-10 Espanyol
Shots on target: Real Madrid 14-1 Espanyol
Corners: Real Madrid 9-4 Espanyol
Fouls: Real Madrid 7-5 Espanyol
BEST STATS
14 - Real Madrid attempted 14 shots in the first 45 minutes against Espanyol, their most in a first half of a LaLiga home game without scoring since August 2019 against Real Valladolid (14). Siege. pic.twitter.com/FadI6fFomp
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 21, 2024
1 - Thibaut Courtois has become the first Real Madrid goalkeeper to score an own goal in a LaLiga match in the entire 21st century. Unfortunate. pic.twitter.com/NmKh6CPRPi
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 21, 2024
5 - Real Madrid have become the first team to score five goals from penalties after their first six games of a LaLiga season in the entire 21st century. Infallible. pic.twitter.com/aVuGEobZD5
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 21, 2024
WHAT NEXT?
After pulling off a comeback victory, Real Madrid will look to continue to build momentum in Tuesday's home clash with Alaves before they face local rivals Atletico Madrid.
As for Espanyol, they will turn their attention to another tricky test against Villarreal at the RCDE Stadium next weekend.
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