Real Madrid player ratings vs Espanyol: Vinicius Jr keeps Los Blancos alive - for now! Brazilian's brilliant brace delays Barcelona's inevitable La Liga title party

Vinicius Jr bagged a brace, Jude Bellingham provided a lovely assist, and Real Madrid strolled to a convincing 2-0 win over Espanyol on Sunday evening. Madrid got things done without Kylian Mbappe, and Alvaro Arbeloa will be pleased with the performance - but with the knowledge that their win only delays Barcelona's inevitable march to the league title.

It was a back-and-forth affair early on. Espanyol hadn't won a game in 2026, and played like they intended to end that streak. Twice they threatened, but neither opening quite came off. Madrid responded, though. Vini Jr, dangerous all night, hit the post after some tidy setup play from Trent Alexander-Arnold. It was otherwise a rather drab first half, with chances coming at a premium.

Los Blancos emerged with a bit more conviction after the break, though. Vinicius got his moment 10 minutes in, and it had been coming. The Brazilian cut onto his right foot, sent two defenders sliding, and tucked the ball inside the near post for a 1-0 lead. The second was even better. Bellingham backheeled to the Brazilian, who simply stroked it into the top corner.

Madrid had futher chances. Gonzalo Garcia, who made a real impact off the bench, fired wide. Vinicius came close once or twice. Bellingham had a shot well stopped. It really should have been four or five. But Madrid settled for two. There is relief in a win, for sure, but they could now lose the title in El Clasico next Sunday if they fail to win. It's hard to imagine a worse fate.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from RCDE Stadium...

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Goalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (6/10):
Had a couple of saves to make, but was otherwise a quiet evening for the back-up keeper.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):
Created a couple of chances, kept the ball ticking, but was quite lucky not to be sent off for a series of bad challenges.
Antonio Rudiger (6/10):
A bit frantic. Misjudged a couple of headers, but recovered well.
Dean Huijsen (6/10):
Beaten a few times early on, but then settled into the game nicely. Will need to be on it next week against Barca.
Ferland Mendy (N/A):
Managed just 14 minutes before being forced off with another injury. Rough for him.

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Midfield
Federico Valverde (7/10):
Covered loads of ground and played about six different positions. Terrific effort for 90 minutes.
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Kept it tidy at the base of midfield. Finished with more defensive contributions than anyone else on the pitch.
Thiago Pitarch (6/10):
A difficult 50 minutes. Rather overrun and outmuscled.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Thrived in a free role. Drove forward, dropped deep, created loads. Produced a sublime assist.
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Attack
Brahim Diaz (6/10):
A passenger, really. Enjoyed some nice moments here and there, but didn't make a massive impact in attack.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Bagged a brilliant brace, caused problems all evening and was wisely hooked before he could pick up a second yellow.

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Subs & Manager
Fran Garcia (7/10):
Constantly running down the left. Did his defensive work well, and chipped in going forward. Impressive both ways.
Franco Mastantuono (5/10):
Tried to do too much in 40 minutes. Tested the keeper once, but otherwise spent most of the evening overplaying a bit.
Gonzalo Garcia (7/10):
Assisted Vini's first goal. Madrid were much better when he was on the pitch.
Eduardo Camavinga (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Cesar Palacios (N/A):
A late introduction, like Camavinga.
Alvaro Arbeloa (7/10):
A good performance, but way too late in the day. He's almost certainly not getting the job, anyway.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

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Subs & Manager