Vinicius double keeps Barcelona waiting for La Liga title

Madrid: Vinicius Junior scored twice as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 on Sunday, delaying Barcelona’s coronation as Spanish champions.

Barcelona would have retained the La Liga title if Madrid had failed to win away to Espanyol. Instead, Alvaro Arbeloa’s team reduced the gap to 11 points with four matches left to play.

The result means Barcelona’s next opportunity to seal their 29th league title will come in a week’s time when they host Real Madrid in El Clasico. Only a Real Madrid victory in that match would prevent Hansi Flick’s side from wrapping up the title.

“We’ve got a big game coming against a great rival, who are doing things very well,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV, adding, “It’s special for the fans and for us. We’ll rest very well and prepare well for this game.”

Real Madrid went into the match without injured France forward Kylian Mbappe and having won only three of their previous nine league games. Even though the victory postponed Barcelona’s celebrations, Madrid remain highly likely to finish a second straight season without a major trophy.

Barcelona had beaten Osasuna in Pamplona on Saturday night and were waiting for a Madrid slip to secure back-to-back league titles. Instead, they now have the chance to clinch the trophy at Camp Nou in front of 60,000 supporters.

Espanyol, coached by Manolo Gonzalez, came into the game without a win in 17 league matches and in need of points in their fight to stay up. They are 13th in the table, five points above the relegation zone, though that margin could be reduced on Monday if 18th-placed Sevilla defeat Real Sociedad.

Vinicius makes the difference

Madrid saw more of the ball in the opening half but struggled to turn possession into clear openings. Vinicius came closest before the break when his deflected effort struck the post.

The Brazilian was also involved in a tense duel with Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali. Vinicius was booked for a foul on the Morocco international, who was initially sent off moments later for a challenge on the Madrid forward. After a VAR review, however, the red card was changed to a yellow.

Fran Garcia, who came on after Ferland Mendy suffered an early injury, delivered a cross for Federico Valverde, whose header was saved by Marko Dmitrovic. At the other end, Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin denied Leandro Cabrera’s header before half-time.

Madrid broke the deadlock early in the second half through Vinicius. He combined with substitute Gonzalo Garcia, beat two defenders and finished at the near post.

About 10 minutes later, he added his second goal. Jude Bellingham backheeled the ball into his path inside the area and Vinicius finished into the top corner.

“(Vinicius) had a great game, scoring two superb goals.. and was the leader of the attack, a total threat,” Arbeloa told reporters. He added, “Every time he gets the ball, he’s very aggressive, very intelligent, and as I always say, brave, constant.. A fantastic player, a born leader, a team-mate everyone loves.”

Vinicius’s display will further fuel debate among those who believe he and Mbappe cannot thrive in the same side. Madrid could have won by a bigger margin, with Gonzalo Garcia, Franco Mastantuono and Bellingham all having chances to add to the score.

Real Madrid will return to Catalonia next weekend for another meeting with their arch-rivals, without having to give Barcelona a guard of honour.