Espanyol VS Real Madrid

 Espanyol VS Real Madrid

Real Madrid lost this fixture when they visited Espanyol last season, something Carlo Ancelotti pointed out in his pre-match press conference, but the Italian is feeling confident after a perfect start to the new campaign, having won the UEFA Super Cup and also the LaLiga Santander duels with Almeria and Celta Vigo.

Karim Benzema struck twice late on to give Real Madrid a 3-1 win over Espanyol and maintain the Spanish champions' 100 per cent start to the La Liga season.

Real Madrid took the lead after just 12 minutes when Vinicius Junior slotted home a composed finish following a through ball by Aurelien Tchouameni. At that point, the away team looked to be in control of the contest.

However, Espanyol grew as the first half progressed and grabbed an equaliser one minute before half-time when Joselu finished at the second attempt after a save by Thibaut Courtois had bounced back into his path.

The home team fought hard and had opportunities to score a second, but it was Real Madrid who claimed all three points as their quality shone through in the end.

Real Madrid played their third consecutive away game to start their La Liga title defence. They had won their previous two, 2-1 against Almeria and 4-1 against Celta Vigo, but Espanyol proved to be a tougher nut to crack. Los Blancos found a way as they always do though, and managed to get a 3-1 win.