Synopsis
In a remarkable La Liga match, Espanyol's Carlos Romero scored late to secure a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid. The win came after a strong defensive effort, highlighted by goalkeeper Joan Garcia's vital saves. This outcome allowed Atletico Madrid to close the gap at the top of the league.Key Takeaways
- Espanyol achieved a surprising 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
- Defensive heroics by Joan Garcia kept Espanyol in the game.
- Antonio Rudiger suffered an early injury for Real Madrid.
- Atletico Madrid narrowed the title race with a 2-0 win.
- Villarreal dominated Valladolid with a 5-1 victory.
Madrid, Feb 2 (NationPress) Espanyol left back Carlos Romero netted the sole goal of the match just six minutes before the final whistle, leading his team to a stunning 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in La Liga.
Throughout the second half, Espanyol faced relentless pressure from Real Madrid, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia making a series of crucial saves that kept his team in contention. The team, which started the match in the relegation zone, managed to catch Madrid off guard.
Additionally, Real Madrid received troubling news as Antonio Rudiger suffered a muscle injury just 13 minutes into the match, depriving his team of their top defender this season, as reported by Xinhua.
Atletico Madrid capitalized on their neighbor's misfortune by securing a 2-0 victory over Mallorca, narrowing the gap to just one point from the top with the Madrid derby approaching.
Samuel Lino opened the scoring with a counter-attack in the 25th minute, and Antoine Griezmann ensured the three points with a skillful chip deep into injury time.
Villarreal bolstered its standing in fifth place with a dominant 5-1 win against bottom-dwelling Valladolid. Ayoze Perez broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, followed by goals from Pape Gueye, Santi Comesana, Thierno Barry, and Denis Suarez, while Selim Amallah scored a late consolation goal for Valladolid.
Getafe and Sevilla faced off on Saturday, ending in a 0-0 draw that provided little benefit to either team, although it inching Getafe closer to safety.
Despite Sevilla taking more shots at goal, the match was marred by a lack of quality, resulting in just one shot on target for each team amid a total of 10 yellow cards.
