Real Madrid 5 - Espanyol 1

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Hierro (Iván Campo 55'), Karanka, Roberto Carlos (Solari 72'); Figo, Makelele (Celades 75'), Zidane, McManaman; Munitis, Raúl. 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Argensó; Fran, Lopo, Rotchen, Ricardo Cavas; Oscar (Alex Fernández 46'), Morales; Velamazán, Martín Posse (Munteanu 65'), De Lucas; Aganzo (Benítez 70'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Casillas, Michel Salgado, Karanka, Makelele, Munitis for César, Geremi, Iván Campo, Celades, Guti / Espanyol: Argensó, Ricardo Cavas, Morales, Martín Posse for Mora, David García, Soldevilla, Munteanu.

Goals:
1-0. 05. Zidane. Angled shot after Raúl laid back Roberto Carlos pass.
2-0. 10. Roberto Carlos. Shot from free kick which left keeper stranded.
3-0. 19. Figo (penalty). Given for push by Rotchen on Figo himself.
3-1. 47. De Lucas. Shot wide of Casillas after Posse back-heel set him up.
4-1. 57. Raúl. Played one two with Munitis before beating Argensó.
5-1. 71. McManaman. Tap in on goal line after Salgado cross from right.

Real Madrid silenced their critics with a 5-1 victory over Espanyol which took them out of the relegation zone. Within 20 minutes they were three goals up, with Zidane, back in the side after sitting out the midweek Champions League game through suspension, opening the scoring in the fifth minute after Raúl laid back a through ball by Roberto Carlos. The unsettled Brazilian left back got the second himself from a free kick, and appeared to send a message to the directors' box that they should uphold his claims for a salary increase by cupping his hand to his ear to hear the acclaim from the crowd.

Even when Figo added the third from the penalty spot after Rotchen was caught pushing the Portuguese international in the chest, Madrid kept up the pressure, and they were unlucky not to go further ahead when Argensó, in the side for the first time this season, saved well from McManaman, Raúl and Munitis. Espanyol did however have their moments, and saw two penalty appeals turned down for possible fouls on Martín Posse and Lopo. Posse was back in the side after receiving a provisional transfer from FIFA, and he showed what the Catalans had missed when a clever back-heel set up De Lucas for his third goal of the season in the opening minute of the second half.

Del Bosque pulled off the limping Hierro, and only a minute later Raúl combined with the on-form Munitis to get his name on the score sheet for the first time in the league this season. Then with 20 minutes to go McManaman got in on the act to finish things off and make it nine goals in four days. Madrid move away from the bottom three up to eleventh, and with none of their rivals starting the season particularly well they are only a few points adrift. Espanyol replace them in eighteenth place, and having let in more goals than anyone else this season the word crisis is already starting to appear in some local papers. They need some good results quickly.