First Division - Day 4

Espanyol 0 - Real Madrid 2

Espanyol: Diego López; Javi López, David López, Oscar Duarte, Víctor Sánchez; Hernán Pérez, Diop, Marc Roca (Diego Reyes 83’), Piatti (Alvaro Vázquez 10’); Gerard Moreno (Caicedo 66’), Leo Baptistao. 4-4-2.
Madrid: Kiko Casilla; Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro (Kroos 19’), James (Isco 63’); Lucas Vázquez, Benzema (Morata 72‘), Marco Asensio. 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 45+2. James. Picked up Kroos pass and ran on to fire long shot past keeper.
0-2. 71. Benzema. Got on the end of Lucas cross to turn ball inside near post.

Yellow cards: Sergio Ramos 03’, Hernán Pérez 21’, Oscar Duarte 44’, Diop 54’, Javi López 64’, Dani Carvajal 84’.

Real Madrid stay three points clear at the top of the table after they beat Espanyol 0-2 in the last game on Sunday, a sixteenth league win in a row equalling the record set by Barcelona five years ago. Ronaldo and Bale were both left at home for various reasons, and Zidane decided to give a run out to the out-of-favour James after a good performance coming off the bench in the midweek Champions League game. Honours were fairly even in the first half, Leo Bapistao testing Casilla and then heading wide, Sergio Ramos going close, and Benzema having a headed goal ruled out for offside. However on the stroke of half time James put the visitors in front with a long shot past Diego López, and only a reaction save by the local keeper prevented Benzema from adding a second soon after the restart. Ten minutes later though Benzema did find a gap inside the near post from a Lucas Vázquez cross to put the game beyond Espanyol’s reach, and although Casilla had to keep out an effort from Caicedo, Isco saw a late effort pushed round the post by Diego López.