Vinicius Jr gives Real Madrid a break and delays Barcelona’s celebration
Friend, what a great game. Real Madrid was no joke, and Vinicius Jr made it very clear. The Brazilian dressed as a hero with two great goals in the second half to defeat Espanyol 2-0 and, in the process, prevent Barcelona from singing the alirón this weekend.
Pay attention to the context: Barça had beaten Osasuna on Saturday (2-1) and went 14 points ahead. A defeat for Madrid and the culés celebrated their 29th league title. But Vini said: “Not so fast”.
“It was a closely contested match until Vinícius opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a good feint to beat a couple of Espanyol defenders inside the area”
Vini’s magic. The first goal was pure quality: feint, space and definition. The second, a collective work of art: heel assist from Jude Bellingham and Vini defining themselves as the stars. This is how you write a story of resilience.
Espanyol, on the brink of the abyss. They have gone 17 games without winning in 2025, with 10 defeats. They are 13th, just five points away from relegation. The red to Omar El Hilali who was later yellow… controversial, but it did not change the script.
And now what? Barça remains leader with an 11-point lead with four games left. Next weekend, Clásico at the Camp Nou. There, Barcelona can close the title. But Madrid showed that they have pride and talent to fight until the end.
On other courts:
- Rayo Vallecano prepares for the Conference League semifinal against Strasbourg. They won 2-0 against Getafe, with a rest for the starters. Sergio Camello and Randy Nteka scored. Augusto Batalla saved a penalty. Vallecas breathes.
- Celta de Vigo dreams of Europe. They beat Elche 3-1 and placed sixth, surpassing Getafe. Iago Aspas’ team is on a roll.
- Real Betis does not forgive. Cucho Hernández opened and closed the account at 3-0 against last-place Oviedo, which is facing relegation.
Lesson of the day: In sport, as in life, nothing is written until the referee whistles the end. Madrid did not give up, and Barça will have to wait. The emotion is served.
