Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the season with a 2-0 win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu, extending their 100% record under Xabi Alonso.
The Madrid boss made tactical tweaks for the clash, pairing Gonzalo Garcia with Kylian Mbappe in attack, though it was defender Eder Militao who produced the breakthrough with a stunning long-range strike.
Militao opens the scoring
Los Blancos found clear chances hard to come by early on, but Militao’s thunderous effort from 30 yards gave them the lead after 23 minutes.
Espanyol responded positively, with Fernando Calero and Tyrhys Dolan threatening Thibaut Courtois’ goal, but they were unable to capitalise.
Mbappe delivers again
Early in the second half, Mbappe doubled Madrid’s advantage with a trademark strike from outside the area, showing his electric start to life in Spain.
The Frenchman went close to adding more, while Vinicius Junior was denied by the post in an almost one-sided spell for the hosts.
Positive returns for Camavinga and Bellingham
The evening ended on a high as Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham returned from long layoffs, receiving a warm reception from the Bernabeu crowd.
The win keeps Real Madrid top of La Liga with five victories from five, five points clear ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Getafe on Sunday.
