Vinícius Júnior came off the bench to score a goal and provide an assist, leading Real Madrid to a dominant 4-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday. The defending champions continued their strong form in the Spanish top flight with a convincing performance.
Despite Real Madrid controlling much of the match, they fell behind in the 54th minute when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois mistakenly turned a low cross from Geoffrey Kondogbia into his own net.
Just four minutes later, Real Madrid responded with an equalizer. Dani Carvajal struck from close range after a precise cross from Jude Bellingham in the 58th minute.
The turning point came when Vinícius Júnior was introduced. Within two minutes, he showcased his brilliance by delivering a superb cross to his fellow Brazilian, Rodrygo, who netted the second goal in the 75th minute. Shortly after, in the 77th minute, Vinícius added a third goal for Los Blancos with a clinical finish from a counter-attack.
Kylian Mbappé sealed the victory in stoppage time by converting a penalty earned by substitute Endrick, completing Real Madrid’s commanding display.
The win boosted Real Madrid to 14 points, just one point behind Barcelona, who play fourth-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
