Victory with a brace from Vini Jr.

Real Madrid claimed three points against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. Our team sealed the victory in the second half, highlighted by the performance of Vini Jr. The Brazilian put Arbeloa's side ahead in the 55th minute with a beautifully crafted goal and completed his brace eleven minutes later with another stunning strike. This marks the third consecutive game in which our forward has found the back of the net.

The post denied Real Madrid an early lead in the eighth minute. It was Vini Jr., in a preview of what was to come in the second half, who attempted an acrobatic shot inside the box, with the ball deflecting off Al Hilali before hitting the post. As the minutes passed with little danger in either area, midway through the first half, the same protagonists were involved. Al Hilali was sent off by Gil Manzano after a tackle on Vini Jr. in the 25th minute, but after being called by the VAR referee and reviewing the play on the monitor, the red card was downgraded to a yellow.

Chances
Espanyol responded with a collective play that ended with a shot from Terrats that went over the bar around the 30th minute. Just before halftime, Brahim came close to opening the scoring with a volley inside the box that missed the target by mere centimeters. In injury time, the hosts had their best chance. Edu Expósito delivered a corner, and Cabrera's header at the near post was denied by a brilliant reflex save from Lunin.

Vini Jr. scores in his third consecutive match
Everything changed in the 55th minute with a spectacular goal from Vini Jr. The Brazilian received the ball on the left flank, drove forward, and combined with Gonzalo, who returned the one-two pass. Inside the box, he faked out Calero and Cabrera with a feint and finished with a precise right-footed shot. This marked the third consecutive game in which our forward has scored.

Watch all the highlights of this match on RM Play

Espanyol's response came ten minutes later with a shot from Terrats from the edge of the box that nearly caught Lunin off guard. In the subsequent play, Vini Jr. once again showcased his fine form. This time, the Brazilian combined with Bellingham, who returned the ball with a backheel pass, and Vini Jr. finished with a spectacular first-time right-footed strike into the top corner. A brace for the Brazilian, who received applause from some local fans in recognition of his performance at the RCDE Stadium. From then on, Arbeloa's side faced little difficulty in securing their 24th victory in the league.