La Liga 2016-17: Espanyol 0 - 2 Real Madrid - 5 Talking Points
Real Madrid saw off Espanyol in a game that was expected to be a tough test for the visiting Los Blancos. Espanyol put up a spirited display, but they ran out of ideas and fuel by the end of the game to finish the game with a 2-0 home defeat.
The goals came at crucial junctures of the match for Real: the first, on the stroke of halftime, changed the complexion of the game completely, while the second allowed Real to finish the game at ambling pace.
The result now leaves Espanyol without a win in 4 games. While captain Oscar Duarte insisted in the post-match interview that the manager and squad are not overly concerned by the bad run of form, it is unlike Espanyol to start the season in such dispirited form.
Los Blancos, by contrast, continue their 100% start to the season and will now go into the game against Villareal bristling with confidence. The win helped them capture their 16th consecutive league victory, breaking their club record for consecutive Liga triumphs and also equalling Pep Guardiola’s record.
Here are 5 talking points from the game
1. Real Madrid’s Starting Lineup
Zinedine Zidane made 3 important changes to his best available XI, bringing in Marco Asensio, James Rodriguez, and Pepe for Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, and Raphael Varane.
Gareth Bale was ruled out of the fixture on account of a hip injury, which is why Lucas Vazquez found another opportunity to showcase his squad utility. Dani Carvajal returned to the starting XI, as did Karim Benzema.
The decision to partially rotate the squad paid dividends as Benzema scored a confidence-boosting goal, while generally good performances from the rest of the replacements gave Real the result they came looking for.