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WATCH: Romero scores off a volley, Espanyol stuns Real Madrid with 1-0

In the latest Laliga fixture between Real Madrid and Espanyol, the latter stunned the Galacticos with an astonishing 1-0 victory at their home ground.

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Shubhrajit Goswami
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Spanish football came back to the forefront this weekend with a crucial Laliga clash as Espanyol faced off against Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday. 

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Espanyol entered the match in 18th place in the La Liga standings and has clearly struggled to find their form this season.

Real Madrid, led the league table heading into the contest and had displayed remarkable form in recent months. With Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior performing impressively, Kylian Mbappe had also found his rhythm, notably scoring his first hat-trick for the Galacticos recently.

On the other hand, Espanyol faced challenges this season, finding themselves in a relegation battle. They needed to show resilience and grit to snatch points from the Galacticos.

The tale of a turnaround 

The Galacticos asserted dominance right from the start, keeping their possession while Espanyol tried to exploit in quick counters. 

Real Madrid kept a solid 77% possession throughout the fixture and created as many as 20 chances. However, only 7 of those landed on targets.

On the other side, despite minimal possession, Espanyol threatened Madrid's defence with 5 shots, two of which were on target.

In the fifteenth minute of the first half, Madrid suffered a setback when their star defender, Antonio Rudiger, had to leave the pitch due to an injury he sustained while attempting to block a well-directed cross. Manager Carlo Ancelotti substituted him with Raul Asencio, a decision that took many fans by surprise, as they had anticipated David Alaba to step in instead.

Despite multiple attempts at Espanyol's goal, Madrid's forward line failed to break through their defence. Espanyol's 'Park the bus' strategy paid dividends as the scoreline remained 0-0 at half-time.

In the second half, Espanyol again defended in low blocks while Madrid tried to score. However, against the run of play, Espanyol beautifully converted an opportunity and took the lead in the dying moments of the game.

In the 85th minute, Espanyol's defender Romero connected with a cross at the back post, executing a delicate volley that found its way past Courtois and into the net, eventually becoming the winner.

Real Madrid currently holds the top position in the table, with a slender one-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Espanyol's recent victory is a significant boost for them as they strive to secure their place in Laliga. Espanyol now stands at 17th place, moving closer to safety, just above the relegation zone.

Real Madrid LaLiga RCD Espanyol
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