Asensio Powers Real Madrid Into Top Of La Liga Table

By Harry Morgan

A first-half goal from Asensio secured victory for Real Madrid as the Los Blancos beat Espanyol 1-0 to extend their La Liga winning streak to three games and also go top of the table.

The midfielder hit a close-range effort into the bottom corner of the far post, but celebrations were put on hold until referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz consulted the VAR and became convinced that there was no offside in the lead up to the goal. 

Julen Lopetegui’s side has overtaken Barcelona at the summit of the La Liga table with 13 points, a point above their arch-rivals, who welcome Girona to the Camp Nou on Sunday.

Lopetegui made five changes to the starting-XI in the 3-0 win over AS Roma in the Champions League last Wednesday by replacing Jesus Nevas with Thibaut Courtois in posts, Dani Carvajal with Odriozola at right-back, Marcelo with Nacho at left-back, Kroos with Ceballos and Bale with Asensio in midfield.

Isco missed the posts narrowly from inside the penalty box in the 5th minute, Nacho received the yellow card for a bad foul on Pablo Piatti a minute after, ten minutes before the Espanyol striker missed the post by inches with a right-footed shot.

Sergio Ramos saw a goalbound shot blocked in the 19th minute, Karim Benzema got on the end of a good pass but shot off-target before Thibaut Courtois pulled up a great save to deny Hernan Perez from planting the ball into the bottom corner in the 34th minute.

Asensio broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when he pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area to drive home a shot into the bottom right corner. Mateu Lahoz disallowed the goal sensing an offside in the lead-up but allowed it minutes later after he has consulted the VAR.

Luka Modric shot wide three minutes after the restart, Isco followed suit with a shot on goal in the 49th minute, Casemiro had a shot blocked in the 56th minute, three minutes before Lopetegui replaced Karim Benzema with Mariano. 

Borja Iglesias won the ball from Sergio Ramos in the 65th minute but saw his lob over Thibaut Courtois hit the crossbar before and into the waiting palms of the Belgian goalkeeper.

Marc Roca shot from the edge of the box towards the bottom right corner in the 67th minute, but could not beat Thibaut Courtois, before Sergio Ramos headed a corner kick into the safe hands of Diego Lopez.

Real Madrid looked dominant, but the visitors appeared dangerous whenever on the offensive, and a counter-attack inside the hosts' final third in the 77th minute was stopped with Casemiro fouling Estaban Granero and receiving a yellow card for it, a minute before Marcos Llorente replaced Isco.

Llorente created space for himself inside the penalty box and unleashed a decent strike towards the middle of the net which Diego Lopez saved comfortably.