Karim Benzema Drives Vinicius Jr Double in Real Madrid 2-0 Win
karim Benzema’s name sits on the headline, but the scoreline belonged to Vinicius Jr: Real Madrid won 2-0 at Espanyol Barcelona on 03/05/2026. The Brazilian forward scored both goals, while Espanyol’s Liga winless run stretched to 17 matches and left its top-flight position unresolved.
Vinicius Jr delivered the only numbers that mattered on the pitch, with a doublé that settled the match before the final five minutes of added time were announced. Real Madrid did not need more than that margin, and Espanyol left without the result it needed to steady a season that has now run 17 league games without a win.
Vinicius Jr at Espanyol
Two goals from Vinicius Jr gave Real Madrid control in a match that never needed a broader cast to decide it. Bellingham, Mastantuono, Lunin, Romero, Palacios, Carreras and Espanyol goalkeeper Dmitrovic were all in the story, but the scoreline came down to one forward turning chances into a 2-0 away win.
Palacios replaced Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian had already done the damage. That change tells the whole shape of the night: once Real Madrid had the lead, the game became about management, not rescue, and Espanyol had no answer that changed the result.
Espanyol’s 17-match drought
Seventeen matches without a Liga win is the kind of number that changes the mood around a club fast, and Espanyol Barcelona now owns it. The team was still not mathematically assured of staying in the top division after this result, so the loss did more than drop three points; it kept the pressure on every remaining fixture.
Five minutes of added time were announced, but the final stretch did not alter the picture. Espanyol needed a response and got none, while Real Madrid banked an away win that preserved its momentum without overextending anyone in the process.
Barcelona waits for Clasico
FC Barcelona must wait for the Clasico the following week to become champion of Spain, and it needs at least a draw there to finish the job. For Madrid, that makes this a clean business result: three points, a two-goal margin, and a rival forced to keep counting instead of celebrating.
The sharper takeaway is simple. Vinicius Jr decided the match, Espanyol’s run is now at 17 without a Liga win, and Barcelona’s title path still runs through one more result, not a coronation.
