Coach: Real’s ‘worst loss is no accident’
MADRID: Real Madrid slipped to their “worst defeat of the season,” according to coach Carlo Ancelotti, following up a shock Champions League reverse with their first La Liga loss of the season, going down 2-1 at Espanyol on Sunday.
Real, who lost to Moldovan minnows Sheriff Tiraspol on Tuesday, blew a chance to pull ahead of Atletico Madrid, who beat crisis-hit Barcelona 2-0 on Saturday to draw level with their city rivals on 17 points.
Real Sociedad are also on 17 points after they too missed the chance to go top when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Getafe on Sunday.
“There is not much to say,” admitted a crestfallen Ancelotti after a defeat that leaves Real without a win in three games after they were held to a goalless draw by Villarreal in their previous league match.
“We did not manage to keep our calm, to put in place what we had planned. The team was not well setup, with or without the ball. You have to be honest. It’s the worst game of our season.
“This defeat is no accident. We didn’t play well.”
Espanyol took the lead on 17 minutes at the RCDE Stadium in Catalonia when Raul de Tomas found the net.
Aleix Vidal scored a sparkling second goal after nutmegging Nacho and smashing the ball past Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois 15 minutes into the second half.
Karim Benzema pulled a goal back on 71 minutes.
Espanyol had won just once in seven games this season but they hung on grimly in five minutes of added time to take all three points.
RESULTS
Espanyol 2 (de Tomas 17, Vidal 60) Real Madrid 1 (Benzema 71); Elche 1 (Benedetto 49) Celta Vigo 0; Getafe 1 (Ramirez 40) Real Sociedad 1 (Oyarzabal 68); Villarreal 2 (Danjuma 45+1, 69) Real Betis 0; Granada 1 (Rochina 25) Sevilla 0