Vinícius Jr. brace halts Barcelona's title celebration as Real beat Espanyol 2-0
- Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 on Sunday, with Vinícius Júnior scoring both second-half goals to stop Barcelona clinching the 2025-26 La Liga title. - Vinícius struck in the 55th and 68th minutes at RCDE Stadium, after Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Osasuna had left Madrid needing victory. - The result pushes the title race into El Clásico on May 10, when Barcelona can still seal it at home.
Real Madrid kept the La Liga race alive on Sunday. That was the whole point — and they got it done. A 2-0 win at Espanyol means Barcelona did not get to celebrate the title this weekend, even after beating Osasuna the day before. Vinícius Júnior scored both goals, and now the season’s biggest game suddenly carries even more weight. ### What actually happened at Espanyol? The game stayed tight for most of the first half, and Madrid did not exactly blow Espanyol away. Vinícius hit the post early, Espanyol had moments, and Andriy Lunin had to make a sharp save before the break. But Madrid found the opening in the 55th minute when Vinícius finished after a neat exchange with Gonzalo García, another one-two, this time with Jude Bellingham, before driving the ball into the top corner. ### Why did this matter so much today? Because Barcelona had already done their part. Barça won 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday, so Madrid went into Sunday knowing anything less than a win would hand the title over immediately. Instead, the three points forced a delay. The gap at the top stays alive for at least one more matchday, which is all Madrid could ask for. ### Why is Vinícius the center of this story? Because he was basically the entire difference. The two goals were decisive, but the broader run matters too. He now has 16 goals in 2026 across all competitions, a huge return for the second half of the season, and he has been especially productive against Espanyol — five goals and three assists in his last seven a flashy cameo. It was the kind of performance that keeps a title chase breathing. ### Was it comfortable for Madrid? Not really. The scoreline looks clean, but the match had nerves in it. Espanyol thought they had a major moment when Omar El Hilali’s red card for fouling Vinícius was shown, then downgraded to yellow after VAR. and then Vinícius doing the hard part. ### What does this do to the title race? It pushes everything toward El Clásico. Barcelona host Real Madrid on Sunday, May 10, at Spotify
