Real Madrid had to wait until the final minute to secure their La Liga opener.
Jude Bellingham put Madrid ahead early, Espanyol fought back, and the hosts appeared on course to frustrate the visitors. Then Carlos Espi struck in the 90th minute to snatch a 2–1 victory.
It was an opening-day win built more on resilience than dominance.
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Bellingham Gives Madrid Early Lead
Madrid needed only nine minutes to break the deadlock.
Arda Guler’s set-piece delivery found Bellingham in a dangerous position, and the England midfielder guided a close-range header inside the left post.
The early goal looked like it might set the tone.
It didn’t.
Espanyol gradually settled into the match and began creating problems for Madrid’s defence.
Espanyol Fight Back
Their pressure paid off in the 30th minute.
Alex Calatrava collected a pass inside a promising position before producing a superb finish into the top-left corner.
The equaliser changed the momentum.
Madrid continued to threaten before half-time, but Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic stood between them and another goal. Kylian Mbappe was denied twice, while Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was also forced into action to keep out a powerful effort from Exposito.
The teams went into the break level.
Dmitrovic Keeps Espanyol Alive
The second half followed the same pattern: Madrid controlled stretches of possession, but Espanyol remained dangerous whenever they found space to counter.
Bellingham almost restored Madrid’s lead in the 53rd minute.
His powerful header from a corner appeared destined for the net, only for Dmitrovic to get enough on the ball to push it onto the crossbar.
Madrid kept coming.
- Mbappe saw another effort blocked.
- Vinicius Junior fired over from inside the area.
- Federico Valverde struck the right post after following up on a rebound in the 78th minute.
The longer the game stayed level, the more costly those missed opportunities appeared.
Espi Delivers the Late Blow
Then came the decisive moment.
With the clock approaching 90 minutes, Carlos Espi—who had replaced Bellingham around 10 minutes earlier—received a perfectly weighted pass inside the penalty area.
He kept his composure.
One controlled finish sent the ball past Dmitrovic and restored Madrid’s lead.
Espanyol had only a few minutes to respond.
They pushed forward during four minutes of added time, but Madrid held firm and protected the advantage.
A Winning Start—But Not an Easy One
The final score gave Real Madrid the three points, but the performance revealed just how hard the victory was earned.
Madrid surrendered an early lead, survived several dangerous moments and repeatedly found Dmitrovic in their way.
Then, when the game appeared destined for a draw, they found the winner.
Three points. Two goals. One very late escape.
Real Madrid’s league campaign is underway—and already, they have shown they can win when the match refuses to go according to plan.