Vinicius Keeps LALIGA Title Race Alive

(Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

Vinicius Junior played a starring role as Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win over Espanyol in LALIGA to keep their title hopes alive on Sunday night.

LALIGA

Result: Espanyol 0-2 Real Madrid

Date: 03 May 2026

Venue: RCDE Stadium

Kylian Mbappe was an obvious absentee for Los Blancos manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who decided to hand Brahim Diaz a start alongside Vinicius in the attack.

However, the visitors were required to make a substitution 14 minutes into the contest where Fran Garcia came on for the injured Ferland Mendy.

Los Blancos still showed the attacking initiative minutes later when Dean Huijsen got on the end of a corner by Trent Alexander-Arnold before sending his header wide of the upright. Six minutes later, Espanyol came alive and threatened through the head by Roberto Fernandez following a ball in by Edu Exposito.

Los Blancos finished the half the stronger of the two sides and they almost the breakthrough when Federico Valverde latched onto a delivery from Fran Garcia before seeing his strike palmed away by goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic.

Madrid revived their attack two minutes into the second half, with Franco Mastantuono for coming on for Thiago Pitarch while Diaz was sacrificed for Gonzalo Garcia.

The make-up proved effective ten minutes later when Garcia came short to the area and teed-up Vinicius to register the opener with an impressive finish.

Vinicius piled more misery on the host and completed his brace midway in the second half after he combined with Jude Bellingham wide of the area to find the top corner.

The Pericos weren’t keen to go down without a fight and continued to go on the attack in the hope of a comeback, but struggled to breakdown the Los Blancos. Kike Garcia came close to pulling one back in the closing exchanges with a header from a corner, but he didn’t trouble goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Madrid went searching for more goals within the final minutes of the match, but settled for just two to secure the victory and keep their title hopes alive ahead of next weekend’s El Clasico against league leaders FC Barcelona.

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