Vinicius Júnior assisted one goal and netted another as Real Madrid triumphed over a resilient Espanyol 4-1 in the Spanish league.
BARCELONA, Spain — Joan García demonstrated why he’s regarded as a rising goalkeeper — until Vinícius Júnior sparked Real Madrid’s scoring surge.
Coming off the bench, Vinícius set up Rodrygo and added a goal himself, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a late penalty to secure Madrid’s 4-1 win over a determined Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday.
García made several key saves for the visitors before the Olympic gold medalist launched an attack with a long pass from his area, which culminated in an own goal by Real Madrid’s keeper Thibaut Courtois in the 54th minute.
However, García’s only mistake came four minutes later when Jude Bellingham’s low cross slipped beneath him, allowing Dani Carvajal to tap in for the equalizer.
Vinícius, who rested in the first half as Carlo Ancelotti rotated his forwards, was sent on immediately after Espanyol took the lead. He quickly made an impact, delivering a perfectly curled cross with the outside of his left foot for Rodrygo to score in the 75th minute.
Mbappé converted a 90th-minute penalty after Endrick, who came on late, earned a foul from Carlos Romero.
“We made mistakes that you can get away with in other games, but not here,” Espanyol coach Manolo González said.
The win brought Madrid within one point of league leaders Barcelona, who face Villarreal on Sunday.
Jude Bellingham had a brief injury scare after landing awkwardly on his right shoulder in the first half. He received medical attention but returned to the pitch shortly after. Despite concerns, coach Carlo Ancelotti later reassured that Bellingham appeared to be fine.
Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with Madrid’s “well-rounded” performance.
García’s Performance
After helping Spain win Olympic gold, Joan García was linked with a potential move to Arsenal but ultimately stayed at Espanyol, a club he helped return to La Liga last season. At the Santiago Bernabéu, he showcased his talent with at least eight saves before turning playmaker. His long kick from the box set up Jofre Carreras on the left wing, leading to an own goal by Courtois in the 54th minute.
However, once Madrid found their rhythm, even an impressive García couldn’t hold them back.
Valencia’s Deflected Goals
Valencia earned a 2-0 home win over Girona with two deflected goals in quick succession. Shots from Luis Rioja and Dani Gómez in the 56th and 58th minutes were both deflected by Girona defender Juanpe Ramirez, slipping past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Gazzaniga had been at fault for Girona’s Champions League loss to PSG midweek, allowing a stoppage-time cross to slip through his hands in a 1-0 defeat.
Sociedad’s Struggles Continue
Real Sociedad’s surprising slump continued with a scoreless draw at newly promoted Valladolid. Despite consistently finishing near the top in recent years, Sociedad has only one win in seven rounds. They will face Nice next week in the Europa League group stage.
Osasuna’s Victory
In other matches, Ante Budimir earned and converted a penalty, while Aimar Oroz scored the winner as Osasuna beat Las Palmas 2-1 at home. Las Palmas remain in last place, still searching for their first win.
