Real Madrid secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Sunday evening, with both goals netted by Vinicius Junior. This win keeps Real Madrid firmly in the title race.

Player Ratings:

• Andriy Lunin – 7
  Made an impressive point-blank save just before half-time and managed the game well.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6
  Struggled defensively as Espanyol frequently targeted his side, but no goals came from it.
• Antonio Rudiger – 7
  Continued his solid form, deserving the reported contract offer from Real Madrid.
• Dean Huijsen – 7
  Dominated aerially in a promising performance for his first start at the Bernabeu.
• Ferland Mendy – 6
  Left the match after just 14 minutes due to a muscle injury, potentially ending his season early.
• Aurelien Tchouameni – 7
  Played a key role in midfield, contributing to a more solid team performance compared to last week.
• Thiago Pitarch – 6
  Struggled to adapt to an unfamiliar outside midfielder role, looking out of his depth.
• Fede Valverde – 7
  Showed strong leadership in midfield, moving effectively between right and central positions.
• Jude Bellingham – 7
  Provided an assist for Vinicius' second goal but missed a chance in stoppage time.
• Brahim Diaz – 6
  Failed to make an impact before being substituted early in the second half.
• Vinicius Junior – 8.5
  Delivered a stellar performance, scoring two goals, with his second being a remarkable strike, reaching 15 La Liga goals this season.

Substitutes:

• Fran Garcia – 6.5
  Surprised many with his introduction but performed well at both ends.
• Franco Mastantuono – 6
  Missed a significant chance set up by Vinicius in the second half.
• Gonzalo Garcia – 6.5
  Made a noticeable impact upon coming on, assisting the opening goal.
• Eduardo Camavinga – N/A
  Limited minutes, needing more playtime for World Cup consideration.
• Cesar Palacios – N/A
  Another solid appearance for the La Fabrica graduate.