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Real Madrid succumbed to their first La Liga defeat of the season after an uncharacteristically poor display against Espanyol on Sunday. They suffered a 2-1 loss and missed out on a chance to regain a three-point lead over Atletico Madrid in the title race.
It was a dismal performance from Carlo Ancelotti's men, who were atrocious in the opposition box and unusually disorganized in their own.
Meanwhile, Espanyol well and truly announced their return to La Liga. The Catalonians fought hard throughout the first half and took a well-deserved lead through Raul de Tomas in the 17th minute.
Real Madrid's poor defensive organization was at fault for Espanyol's second goal as Aleix Vidal lashed the ball past Thibaut Courtois' near post midway through the second half.
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Although Karim Benzema continued his red-hot form and scored in the 71st minute, his goal turned out to be nothing more than a mere consolation.
On that note, here are the Real Madrid player ratings from the game:
Real Madrid player ratings against Espanyol
Thibaut Courtois - 7/10
Thibaut Courtois was remarkably solid throughout the game. There was not much he could have done to stop Espanyol's first goal. However, he should've done more for their second goal as he almost reached Aleix Vidal's strike.
Nevertheless, the Belgian made two good saves and was one of the few positives in an otherwise shaky Real Madrid backline.
Lucas Vazquez - 6.5/10
Lucas Vazquez's hard work and passion for Real Madrid have never been in question. However, he was ineffective in attack against Espanyol and struggled to provide the much-needed spark down the right flank.
The Spaniard made no interceptions during the game and put in an overall disappointing performance.
Eder Militao - 6/10
Eder Militao endured a difficult outing from start to finish. His defensive positioning and reading of the game were abysmal throughout the night.
The Brazilian was also partly at fault for Espanyol's first goal as he allowed Raul de Tomas too much time and space on the ball.
Nacho Fernandez - 6/10
Much like his center-half partner, Nacho Fernandez failed to make his presence felt in the match. He struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and was unusually poor in defense.
Nacho was the one who got caught in a free-kick situation as Aleix Vidal doubled Espanyol's lead at the half-hour mark.
David Alaba - 6/10
David Alaba made some good overlapping runs but had no telling impact on the game. His positioning was rather dodgy throughout the match, and Adrian Embarba evaded him fairly easily in the build-up to Espanyol's first goal.
Eduardo Camavinga - 6/10
Deployed in a rather unfamiliar attacking midfield role, Eduardo Camavinga seemed uncomfortable throughout his time on the pitch. He was forced off at half-time due to an apparent foot injury.
He completed an impressive 94% of his passes but failed to provide the much-needed creativity for his forwards.
Toni Kroos - 6.5/10
Toni Kroos was far from his usual self on his much-awaited return to Real Madrid's starting eleven. His lack of rhythm and match fitness was evident right from the start of the game. He was taken off for Casemiro near the half-hour mark.
Luka Modric - 6/10
Luka Modric failed to make a telling impact on the game. In an uncharacteristic display, the Croatian was inefficient in terms of creative play.
The Real Madrid midfielder didn't do much defensively either, as he lost four out of his six duels in the middle of the park. He was taken off for Luka Jovic in the 62nd minute.
Federico Valverde - 7/10
Federico Valverde showcased grit and resilience in midfield throughout the game. However, like his teammates, the Uruguayan was unable to open up the Espanyol defense. He completed 90% of his passes and won seven out of his nine duels.
Vinicius Junior - 6/10
Vinicius Junior put up a dynamic first-half performance and linked up well with Karim Benzema. However, his involvement dipped as the game progressed.
Karim Benzema - 8/10
Karim Benzema was once again Real Madrid's best player on the pitch. He shone throughout the second half and provided his side with a glimmer of hope after scoring in the 71st minute. Unfortunately, his effort wasn't enough in the end.
Substitutes
Rodrygo - 6/10
Rodrygo came in as a 46th-minute substitute for Eduardo Camavinga. He made 17 passes during his time on the pitch, out of which 14 were accurate. Overall, the Brazilian failed to truly get involved in the game.
Casemiro - 6.5/10
Casemiro was crucial in breaking up Espanyol's play after coming on in the 62nd minute. He won five of his duels and made three successful ball recoveries during his time on the pitch.
Luka Jovic - 7/10
Luka Jovic stringed together some good passes and was essentially the creator of Karim Benzema's goal.
Eden Hazard - 6.5/10
Like most of his teammates, Eden Hazard struggled to create goalscoring opportunities against Espanyol's well-drilled defensive setup.
