Militao Thunderbolt, Mbappé Magic Send Real Madrid Five Clear

Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the 2025/26 La Liga season with a controlled 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, opening a five-point gap over rivals Barcelona and reinforcing their status as early title favourites.

It was a match that required patience more than fireworks, but Los Blancos delivered when it mattered most, first through an unexpected source in Eder Militao and then through their talisman Kylian Mbappé, whose clinical finish shortly after the restart killed any hopes of a comeback for the visitors.

From the opening whistle, Madrid looked the more composed of the two sides, dominating possession and circulating the ball with calm assurance. Espanyol, who came into the clash in strong form, were well-drilled defensively and limited Madrid’s early attempts to half chances. But it was clear that Xabi Alonso’s men were probing carefully, waiting for the moment to break through.

The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute in dramatic fashion. Eder Militao, pushing forward from defence, collected a loose ball around 25 yards from goal and unleashed a rocket of a strike that arrowed past Marko Dmitrovic. It was a goal that stunned Espanyol and sent the Bernabéu crowd into raptures.

Espanyol, who had set out with a disciplined, compact game plan, were now forced to abandon their deep block and show more ambition. But every attempt to counter was quickly nullified by Madrid’s press, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde mopping up in midfield to prevent any real danger.

Madrid’s focus after taking the lead was on control rather than chasing a quick second goal. Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler stretched the play on the flanks, but Espanyol stayed organised and frustrated their hosts until the break.

Two minutes into the second half, however, Madrid struck again, and this time it was their superstar forward who did the damage. A clever sequence of play saw Vinícius slip a perfectly weighted pass into Mbappé’s path, and the Frenchman made no mistake, curling a precise shot into the near post to double Madrid’s lead. It was his fifth goal of the season, continuing a blistering run of form that has made him the league’s early Pichichi favourite.

Espanyol manager Manolo González responded with a triple substitution in an attempt to inject energy and attacking spark, but Madrid never really looked in danger. The home side nearly added a third when Vinícius cut inside and fired from a tight angle, only to see his shot crash off the post.

With the two-goal cushion, Madrid shifted into game-management mode. Alonso withdrew Tchouaméni and Güler for fresh legs, ensuring control in the middle of the park. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy held their defensive lines well, limiting Espanyol to speculative efforts that rarely troubled Thibaut Courtois.

The closing stages saw Madrid play with maturity, keeping possession and running down the clock as chants of “Campeones” rang around the Bernabéu. When the final whistle blew, it marked Madrid’s first clean sheet in three games, an encouraging sign for a team determined to tighten up defensively.

This result sends a clear message to the rest of La Liga. With five wins from five matches, Madrid sit five points clear of Barcelona and look every bit the dominant force Alonso has been building. Mbappé’s lethal finishing, coupled with a resurgent Militao and a midfield brimming with energy, has made Los Blancos a team capable of grinding out results as well as blowing teams away.

For Espanyol, there were positives to take from their resilience and organisation, but they left the Bernabéu empty-handed and will need to rediscover their attacking spark quickly to keep pace with the European spots.

For Madrid, though, the night belonged to Militao’s thunderbolt and Mbappé’s killer instinct, two moments of quality that have taken them a step closer to their ultimate goal: reclaiming the La Liga title.

See also: Liverpool defeats Everton in Merseyside Derby!