Real Madrid vs Espanyol : 5 Classic La Liga Matches

The last meeting finished 1-0 at the RCDE Stadium, ending a run of four consecutive defeats. It was a welcome win, having lost 20 of the last 22 meetings between the two. However, the last time they won at the Bernabeu was in 1996.

Ahead of this weekend's game, let's revisit five classic La Liga matches between Real Madrid and Real Espanyol.

September 12, 2015: Espanyol 0-6 Real Madrid

Real Madrid hit six past Espanyol, something they would do again in the reverse fixture in the 2015/16 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the first 20 minutes, on his way to a five-goal haul. Gareth Bale assisted with three of his five goals, with the others coming from Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez. Karim Benzema had a goal wedged between Ronaldo's five, assisted by the Portuguese forward.

As mentioned, Los Blancos would beat them 6-0 in the game at the Santiago Bernabeu that same season, with Cristiano securing another hat-trick.

May 12, 2007: Real Madrid 4-3 Espanyol

Los Blancos fought back from a 3-1 halftime deficit to take all three points in a vital game in the race for the La Liga title that season.

A Walter Pandiani hat-trick gave El Glorioso a 3-1 lead at halftime. Ruud van Nistelrooy pulled one back after the first two goals, tapping in from a Roberto Carlos cross.

Jose Antonio Reyes was brought on after halftime and helped the fightback. He scored the equalizer after Raul had pulled one back in the 49th minute. Reyes assisted Gonzalo Higuain in the 89th minute to score the winner, sending the home fans into euphoria.

February 27, 2018: Espanyol 1-0 Real Madrid

Espanyol has won just two of the last 18 La Liga meetings between the two teams. The 1-0 win in 2018 was the most dramatic.

In a very even game, both teams had good chances to open the scoring, but the home team would be more frustrated that it was 0-0 as the time ticked into the 90th minute.

However, with almost the last kick of the game, Gerard Moreno volleyed past goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the 93rd minute to give El Glorioso all three points.

December 16, 2012: Real Madrid 2-2 Espanyol

The two teams have not played out many draws, but the 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu was a big one for Espanyol.

Sergio Garcia gave the away team a shock lead in the 31st minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo tied the game up just before halftime. When left-back Fabio Coentrao made it 2-1 in the 48th minute, most thought Los Blancos would go on to claim the three points.

Espanyol withstood pressure in the game and took advantage of Madrid's failure to take chances. Juan Albin, who came on as a second-half substitute, scored the equalizer in the 88th minute to share the points.

August 28, 2022: Espanyol 1-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid scored two late goals to secure a win in the early stages of the 2022/23 La Liga season. Vinicius Jr. scored inside 12 minutes of the game at the RCDE Stadium. Espanyol striker Joselu equalized in the 43rd minute, a player who would go on to wear the Real Madrid shirt.

Karim Benzema scored in the 88th minute, which saved all three points for Los Blancos. However, ten minutes into added-on time, Benzema struck again from a direct free-kick to add more gloss to the win.

The Previous Season's Results Between Real Madrid and Espanyol

In last season's clashes, both home teams emerged victorious. The first game took place at the Bernabeu on September 21, with Los Blancos winning 4-1. All the goals came in the second half, with the away team scoring first with Thibaut Courtois' own goal. Dani Carvajal scored three goals in the final 20 minutes. Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., and Kylian Mbappe on the score sheet.

The reverse fixture saw a shock win for Espanyol, with Carlos Romero scoring in the 85th minute with a goal on the counterattack. The loss enabled Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to close the gap at the top of the standings.

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