Three questions and three answers from Espanyol 0-2 Real Madrid

Three answers

**1. Would Real Madrid gift Barcelona the league title with another slip-up?** Anything but a win here would’ve seen Barcelona celebrate the La Liga title on Sunday night, just down the road from Cornellà where this match was being played. Instead, the race will now go to next weekend, and the Clásico. It’ll be the first time since 1932 and only the second ever in which a Clásico could seal the title. In some respects, it works out better for a Real Madrid side who will decide their own fate, avoid the humiliation of a guard of honour, and have the opportunity to go down fighting with a statement win, even if it’s not enough to mount a fight back in the title race. In others, it provides Barcelona with the opportunity to celebrate mathematically guaranteeing the title in their own back yard at Camp Nou in the faces of a Real Madrid side who have already suffered enough this season. Such a dramatic ending seems ironically suited to the campaign that Real Madrid have endured in 2025/26, but nothing could rub salt in the wounds more than a Clásico defeat to hand the trophy to Barcelona. **2. Would it become 10 in a row without a clean sheet?** No. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side kept their first clean sheet since the 3-0 win over on March 11th, ending a run of nine without a shut-out. That avoided the team matching the dreadful run from 2004 under Carlos Quieroz. made three strong saves, all fairly central, and Espanyol’s lacked the cutting edge of Real Madrid’s recent rivals. Their xG of 1.16 was higher than that of last weekend, and was the fourth consecutive game at over 1.0, but Espanyol failed to make their chances count. and were among those to try their luck, but Espanyol’s chances were plentiful, though mostly limited to shots from distance and set pieces. Now, Real Madrid can build on this. If they keep a clean sheet against Barcelona and make it two in a row, it would be the first time the team avoid conceding in two consecutive games since October. **3. Who still has something to play for in this squad?** With a World Cup on the horizon, there is no shortage of players whose minds have drifted beyond Sunday night and Espanyol. Those playing have little left to prove, particularly with a coach who looks more likely to leave than to continue, and with team-mates dropping like flies all around them. Some leaders still step up, the match-winning performance from Vinícius Júnior being one example, while the work rate of youngsters like Thiago Pitarch shows that some are still staking their claim for whoever is in charge next season. One of those cases was , who offered a reminder of what an attack with a number nine can look like, teeing up Vinícius smartly for his second goal.