Real Madrid lose 1-0 to Espanyol
What's the story
Real Madrid continue to stutter in the Spanish League after they failed to beat Espanyol in a crucial encounter. Zinedine Zidane's side fell short in the end after Gerard Moreno scored an injury-time goal. Los Blancos stay third on the table with 51 points from 26 matches this season. A below-par performance halted their charge after they had scripted five wins in a row.
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Gap atop could extend further
Real stay seven points adrift of Atletico Madrid and a further 14 from leaders Barcelona. The gap could extend further with the duo having a match in hand. Meanwhile, Valencia (4th) could also go past Real if they win their match against Bilbao.
Real falter
Blip comes at an unwanted time
With the Champions League (Round of 16) second leg encounter against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princess next, Real would have liked to go into the tie with a lot of confidence. Leading 3-1 from the first-leg, they are still the favourites, but PSG will keep an eye on Real's struggles away from home and will hope to build on the same.
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Unwanted record
Real Madrid won the 2016-17 La Liga title and had lost just three matches in the entire campaign. This season they have already faced defeat in five games with 12 more matches left. Meanwhile, Espanyol recorded their 1st victory against Real in over a decade.
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Moments that hurt Real
Zinedine Zidane's decision to rest Cristiano Ronaldo for the game hurt his side's chances. Moreover, Sergio Ramos's leadership at the back was missed in the closing stages with the defender playing as an extra striker. Moreno then struck in injury-time.