Vinícius Júnior delivered a standout performance on Sunday, May 3, 2026, netting two second-half goals to lead Real Madrid to a 2-0 victory over Espanyol. The win prevented Barcelona from clinching the Spanish league title this weekend.
Barcelona had beaten Osasuna 2-1 on Saturday, opening up a 14-point lead. A non-win for Madrid would have allowed the Catalan club to secure their 29th La Liga title. Instead, the gap is now 11 points with four matches remaining, setting up a crucial Clásico next weekend at Camp Nou where Barcelona could still claim the championship.
The match against Espanyol was tightly contested early on. Vinícius broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a skillful move inside the box, then added the second goal at the 66th minute thanks to a clever back-heel assist from Jude Bellingham. Espanyol’s Omar El Hilali received a red card for a foul on Vinícius in the first half, but it was later reduced to a yellow after video review.
Espanyol remains winless in 17 matches this year and sits in 13th place, five points above the relegation zone.
Other Results
- Rayo Vallecano secured a 2-0 win at Getafe, with goals from Sergio Camello and Randy Nteka, as they prepare for their Conference League semifinal.
- Celta Vigo boosted their European hopes with a 3-1 home victory over Elche.
- Real Betis defeated bottom-placed Oviedo 3-0, with Cucho Hernández scoring twice.
Real Madrid keeps their slim title hopes alive heading into the final stretch of the season. Fans are already looking forward to the upcoming showdown between the two giants of Spanish football.