Real Madrid 2-0 Espanyol: Report, result and goals as Mbappe scores again
Los Blancos continued their perfect start to the season
Real Madrid extended their perfect start to the season with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu, thanks to a sensational first-half strike from Eder Militao and another moment of brilliance from Kylian Mbappe.
The opening stages were dominated by possession from the hosts, though Espanyol’s defensive shape initially kept them at bay.
That resistance was broken in stunning fashion in the 22nd minute when Militao collected the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a thunderous drive into the top corner – an early contender for goal of the season.
Federico Valverde provided the simple assist, but the finish was all about Militao’s individual quality.
Espanyol, who had offered little going forward, almost shocked the home crowd before the interval. A free-kick delivery found Calero stretching inside the penalty area, but he couldn’t make proper contact to test Thibaut Courtois.
At the other end, Vinicius and Mbappe combined brilliantly just before half-time, only for the French striker to drag his shot wide.
Despite Real’s dominance in possession – over 72% in the first half – Espanyol actually edged the xG, highlighting the danger they carried on rare counterattacks.
The second half began in explosive fashion. Barely two minutes after the restart, Vinicius glided down the wing and teed up Mbappr, who whipped an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. It was the forward’s fifth league goal of the campaign, making him LaLiga’s top scorer at this stage.
From there, Real Madrid took full control. Mbappe and Vinicius continued to torment Espanyol’s back line, with one sequence seeing Mbappe denied twice by goalkeeper Dmitrovic before Vinicius struck the post on the rebound. Even Militao came close to a second with a towering header from a corner.
Espanyol’s response came through a series of substitutions, with Kike Garcia, Luca Koleosho, and others introduced to inject energy into their attack.
Garcia, in particular, carried history on his shoulders, having previously scored against Madrid for three different clubs, but he couldn’t find a breakthrough on this occasion.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men managed the closing stages expertly. Eduardo Camavinga made his first appearance since April, and Jude Bellingham was handed late minutes on his return from injury, replacing Mbappe to a warm reception.
By the final whistle, Madrid had cruised to victory without much resistance, their clinical finishing making the difference once again.
Espanyol, missing leading scorer Milla, never looked like mounting a serious fightback.