Real Madrid snatched a precious victory at Espanyol’s stadium, settling the first round of the Spanish league in the dying moments on Saturday to launch José Mourinho’s reign in thrilling fashion.
The match looked destined for a 1-1 draw. Then substitute Carlos Espí popped up at the decisive moment, firing the Royal club to victory at 89 minutes and 54 seconds.
Jude Bellingham had put Real Madrid ahead first, needing just 9 minutes to leave his mark on the club’s opening game of Mourinho’s second spell. The Englishman carried on the remarkable form he has shown since the World Cup.
Espanyol refused to fold. Álex Calatrava equalised in the 30th minute, punishing confusion in the Real Madrid defence to drag the hosts back into the contest and complicate the visitors’ task.
With the final whistle looming, Espí settled it with that late strike, handing Real Madrid three precious points to open their campaign. The win carries historic weight: it became only the second in Real Madrid’s history to arrive in the opening round of La Liga courtesy of a goal in the final minute or beyond of stoppage time, according to Mister Chip.
The first came on 21 August 1999, when Real Madrid beat Real Mallorca on the opening day of La Liga through a Raúl González goal in the 90+3 minute.
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