Espanyol shocked Real Madrid 1-0 with a last-minute goal in La Liga on Tuesday, as the visitors failed to move through the gears at the RCDE Stadium.
Gerard Moreno was the hero as Real gambled in the final moments, allowing the hosts to grab a dramatic winner in injury time.
The Budgerigars had the better chances as the game unfolded, and Real suffered in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was rested.
The defeat leaves Los Blancos 14 points behind Barcelona, who sit proudly at the top of the division.
Both teams provided their starting lineups, as the visitors hoped Gareth Bale would take centre stage during their trip to Catalonia:
The absence of Ronaldo clearly affected Real in attack, and the Portuguese icon was missed as the reigning La Liga and European champions ambled in the first half.
Bale appeared lively as he tried to inspire his side, but Real were content to play a possession game as they dominated in midfield.
Los Blancos were comfortable and in control as the hosts sat deep, and the encounter had very little spark before half-time.
Moreno thought he had given the Catalans the lead after 30 minutes, but his effort was quickly ruled out for offside.
Marco Asensio grew into the game for Los Blancos as the interval approached. However, Real simply couldn't find the creativity needed to break the deadlock. Bale quickly drifted out of the match as his side failed to provide him with the necessary support.
The second half almost opened with a bang, as Ruben Duarte had the home fans on their feet.
The defender rose high in the box to head towards the Madrid goal, but the 22-year-old could only watch as his effort hit the woodwork.
Real manager Zinedine Zidane felt the need to change his tactics and selection, and Karim Benzema entered from the bench as the visitors struggled to impact the result.
Espanyol held their own against their illustrious visiting party, and Moreno once again nearly picked the lock of Zidane's shaky defence.
The Guardian's Sachin Nakrani wasn't impressed with the spectacle:
Espanyol continued to attack into the final moments, and Moreno was once again the most likely as his curling shot just beat the far post.
Real attempted to steal the points in the final moments, and Sergio Ramos was allowed to leave his defensive duties as Zidane demanded a win.
However, the tactical decision was to backfire, as Espanyol found the goal their play had throughly deserved.
Moreno had a magnificent match, and the forward was rewarded as his effort hit the back of the net in the third minute of injury time.
Zidane appeared glum on the sideline as the hosts celebrated their win, but Real were nowhere near the standard needed without Ronaldo in their ranks.
from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2CMiuvl
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