Real Madrid suffered a stunning 1-0 defeat at home against relegation-battling Espanyol, with Carlos Romero’s late goal snatching victory for the hosts. The result keeps LaLiga leaders on 49 points, just one point ahead of Atletico Madrid.
The visitors took advantage of several Real Madrid chances, including a disputed disallowed goal by Vinicius Jr in the 21st minute, and kept the home team at bay in the second half. Espanyol’s goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, made key saves to deny Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, and Lucas Vazquez.
Romero scored the winning goal in the 85th minute after a through-ball from Omar El Hilali, lifting his team to 17th place on 23 points. The victory gave Espanyol a much-needed boost, with Romero saying it has “given us life” and shown the team’s resilience at home.
Real Madrid now face Atletico Madrid in next weekend’s Spanish capital derby, while third-placed Barcelona prepare for their match against Alaves on Sunday.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/2/2/real-madrid-beaten-by-espanyol-after-late-romero-goal