MADRID: Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the La Liga season with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday courtesy of goals from Eder Militao and Kylian Mbappe in each half, handing their rivals their first defeat of the campaign.

The result sees Real Madrid sit comfortably atop the standings on 15 points after five matches, five clear of Espanyol and Barcelona, with the reigning champions having a game in hand ahead of their clash with Getafe on Sunday.

Centreback Militao opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a stunning strike from 30 metres, his thunderous right-footed effort leaving Espanyol keeper Marko Dmitrovic no chance as it flew into the top-left corner.

Mbappe extended their lead shortly after the break, curling a precise shot into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box, assisted by a marauding Vinicius Jr.

Espanyol arrived in Madrid in fine form, unbeaten in their first four matches with three wins, but found themselves outclassed in what began as an unexpected top-of-the-table encounter.

Real, fresh off a 2-1 win against Olympique de Marseille in their Champions League opener, brought Vinicius Jr back into the starting line-up after the Brazilian winger was benched midweek by manager Xabi Alonso.

Vinicius was a constant threat down the left flank, forging a strong partnership with left fullback Alvaro Carreras and linking effectively with Mbappe in attack. The Brazilian played a pivotal role in Real’s dominance, creating a flurry of opportunities.

Vinicius hit the post after Espanyol’s Serbian goalkeeper made a fine double save from Mbappe, and was then replaced by Rodrygo Goes.

The winger did not appear happy after being taken off in the 77th minute.

“Today he didn’t have the finish... I took him off when he was at his best, I could have waited to substitute him later but I wanted to bring in fresh players on the wing,” said Alonso.

“The same thing happened with (Franco) Mastantuono. He wanted to stay on but it was about taking control and we needed fresh players.

“Franco also left a little angry but it happens to everyone, I’m happy with Vini’s performance and with Franco’s.”

Espanyol struggled to threaten Real’s defence and created only one scoring opportunity in the entire match, with the home side firmly in control throughout.

Real were further boosted by the return of Jude Bellingham, who had been sidelined since having an operation two months ago to address a long-standing left shoulder issue. The English midfielder came on in the 88th minute, playing his first minutes of the 2025-26 campaign.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025