Without Ronaldo, Real lost on Espanyol's field

Goal: Gerard Moreno 90'+3

To prepare early for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, coach Zinedine Zidane used only half of his regular starting players. Ronaldo, Marcelo, Modric, Kroos, Carvajal and Casemiro were all absent, while Benzema only entered the field midway through the second half.

With a number of key players missing, Real were unable to put much pressure on Espanyol's goal. Gareth Bale also wasted the visitors' clearest chance when he headed straight at goalkeeper Diego Lopez in the seventh minute.

Espanyol started to launch dangerous counter-attacks from the middle of the first half. In the 26th minute, after Varane's unsuccessful pass, Moreno received the ball but shot wide of the post in a face-off with goalkeeper Keylor Navas. The Espanyol striker wearing the number 7 shirt also almost opened the scoring with a diagonal volley in the 55th minute.

The lack of a mainstay in attack was even more evident for Real from the start of the second half. The defending champions dominated possession but lacked a sharp edge. Most of their attacks either stopped outside the box or ended in a shot that failed to trouble goalkeeper Lopez.

While the attack failed to create the necessary pressure, Real's backline became vulnerable. Espanyol had more chances to penetrate Real's penalty area in the second half, and continuously forced Navas to work. In the 77th minute, if Navas had not reacted quickly, Moreno could have opened the scoring with a close-range header. The ball also almost went into Real's net in the 88th minute after Moreno's left-footed curler.

Espanyol's efforts in stoppage time finally paid off. Moreno launched an attack from midfield and charged into the box to receive a cross in the 93rd minute, before unleashing a volley that bounced off the pitch and into the net.

Thanks to the win over Real, Espanyol climbed to 13th place in La Liga with 31 points. The second-placed team from Catalonia is also 12 points above the relegation zone.

Contrary to Espanyol's joy, Real is in danger of losing third place. If they win against Bilbao on February 28, Valencia will move up to third and be one point ahead of the defending champions (52-51).

Thanh Quy