WIDE! Ronaldo has space down the right to lift a cross into the box and Ramos makes highest to head at goal, but he heads wide of the post.
90'
Aarón Martín gets yellow.
Borja Mayoral enters the game and replaces Isco.
Martin pulls back Isco and goes into the book.
There will be two minutes of added time.
Isco makes way for Mayoral.
88'
CLOSE! Vazquez latches on to Isco's cross into the box, but he just cannot make solid contact in the box.
86'
PENALTY SHOUT! Casemiro struggles to control a looping ball and it strikes him on the arm in the box, but the referee dismisses the visitors' appeals for a penalty.
84'
Isco releases the run of Ronaldo into the left inside channel, but Hermoso slides across to make a inch-perfect tackle to stop his strike.
82'
Dani Ceballos enters the game and replaces L. Modrić.
Modric makes way for Ceballos for the home side.
81'
Asensio lifts the ball over the top for Isco, but his cross goes behind Vazquez's run in the middle.
80'
BLOCK! Modric goes for the strike from the edge of the box, but David Lopez puts his body on the line to make the block, sending the ball out for a corner.
78'
Ronaldo latches on to Hakimi's ball over the top, but he cannot control the ball under pressure from Hermoso.
Minute
Description
77'
Casemiro gets yellow.
Casemiro goes into the book for a poor challenge on Martin.
75'
Sergio Garcia wins a free-kick, but the delivery from the visitors is not good enough to put Real under pressure.
73'
Espanyol have to attack now and abandon their shape. They were inches away from being level, but were duly punished by the home side.
71'
Isco has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Marco Asensio.
GOALLLLLLL!!!!!!!! ISCO NOTCHES HIS SECOND! Minutes after the visitors could have been level, Real notch their second goal of the evening to kill the contest off. Asensio tees up the midfielder inside the box and Isco drives his effort beyond Pau Lopez into the bottom corner. A fine strike from the midfielder.
Asensio raids down the left flank and he cuts the ball back across for Isco to convert.
70'
CHANCE! Ramos loses possession to Moreno in his own box and has space to register a strike, but he passes the ball across the face of goal and Varane steers the ball away from Baptistao. The forward should have gone for goal.
69'
Granero enters the game and replaces Sergio Sánchez.
Lucas Vázquez enters the game and replaces T. Kroos.
WIDE! Asensio has space to raid into following a mistake from Darder, but the midfielder pulls his left-footed striker well wide of the post.
Granero replaces Sanchez for the visitors.
Vazquez replaces Kroos for the home side.
67'
Madrid are struggling for creativity in the second half, with the visitors stifling their attempts to break through the middle.
65'
Sergio Sánchez gets yellow.
Sanchez is booked for a foul on Asensio.
Baptistao has space to run into once again down the right flank, but on this occasion Navas is alert and clears the danger.
64'
Navarro releases the run of Baptistao down the right flank and he has Moreno in support through the middle, but he can't pass the ball through Casemiro.
62'
Ronaldo latches on to a cross from the left from Isco, but he scuffs his first-time effort at goal on the turn. Madrid are still not comfortable with a one-goal lead.
60'
OVER! Modric is afforded space and time on the edge of the box, but he blasts his strike well over the bar.
58'
Kroos breaks down the left flank, but Navarro just gets back at the midfielder before he can cross into the box.
56'
Espanyol are starting to commit men forward after a tepid start to the game as Navarro sees his strike blocked by Ramos, while Darder lifts his effort over the bar.
55'
Hakimi raids down the right flank and wins a corner for his side, but the delivery from Asensio is gathered with ease by Pau Lopez.
53'
Modric sends the ball in from the right flank, but Ronaldo cannot make contact in the middle with his header, although he's offside anyway. It has not been his best day.
50'
SAVE! Navas makes a crucial save for the home side as he denies Navarro at the near post. A mistake from Kroos' allowed Garcia to thread through the full-back, who made good connection on his strike, but his effort was well saved.
48'
Baptistao has space to raid into down the left, but he opts not to shoot at goal as he tries to slide in Sergio Garcia, but he fails to connect with his team-mate in the box.
47'
BLOCK! Modric dummies Hakimi's low ball on the edge of the box, but Isco's shot is charged down in the box and the visitors clear the danger.
46'
Marc Navarro enters the game and replaces Marc Roca.
Sergio García enters the game and replaces José Jurado.
Navarro replaces Roca at the break.
De La Fuente replaces Jurado for the visitors.
We're back underway at the Bernabeu.
45' +1
Asensio does brilliantly to keep the ball in play down the left flank with a back heel, but Nacho fails to connect with Ronaldo with his cross into the box.
The referee ends the first half.
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
44'
OFF THE POST! Espanyol come within inches of being level as Moreno seizes on a mistake at the back and shoots on the turn, but sees his left-footed strike crack off the post.
43'
Kroos sends another cross deep to the back post and Ronaldo tries to knock his effort goalwards, but he can only nod his effort tamely wide.
41'
Kroos lifts the ball to the back post for Ronaldo to attack, but he can't get over the ball and sends it over the bar.
40'
SAVE! Moreno makes a rare foray towards the edge of the box, but he fires his effort tamely at Navas.
39'
The control over this game by Madrid has been astounding. They've barely had to get out first gear and are just stroking the ball around the Espanyol half.
36'
Nacho gets yellow.
Nacho goes into the book for a foul on Baptistao.
34'
SAVE! Ronaldo collects Kroos' long ball over the top and he only has Pau Lopez to beat, but the keeper spreads himself to make a fine block with his legs. Another good stop from the Espanyol keeper.
33'
It has been a very odd performance thus far from Espanyol. They've shown no desire to break out from the back and are just allowing wave after wave of Madrid attacks.
31'
OVER! Ronaldo drifts into space on the left flank and has space and time to fire at goal, but he lifts his half-volley slightly over the bar.
30'
Isco has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo slips the ball into the left inside channel for Isco's run and the Spaniard does the rest with a neat finish.
GOALLLLLLLL!!! ISCO BREAKS THE DEADLOCK! Relief for Zidane as his side take the lead and this time Isco makes no mistake poking his effort past Pau Lopez from close range. Ronaldo released the run of his team-mate in the box and the Spaniard held his composure to fire the ball through the Espanyol keeper.
27'
Baptistao goes down with an injury and there's a slight delay as he receives treatment.
25'
Madrid's frustrations at home in the league continue as they've been denied again by two fine stops in the first half.
24'
SAVE! Pau Lopez saves Espanyol again as he makes a fine reaction stop to deny Ramos. The defender rose highest at the back post to head Ronaldo' pinpoint cross at goal, but the keeper was there to make the save.
21'
The tempo of Madrid's play thus far has been extremely flat. They need a spark from someone to jolt them into life.
19'
Nacho has space down the left once again and he cuts inside on his right foot to lift a cross to the back post, but Ronaldo cannot make contact on his header after peeling off his marker.
16'
Nacho goes on the surge down the left and slides the ball to Kroos to send a cross to the near post, but David Lopez steers the ball away from danger.
14'
Ronaldo takes possession on the edge of the box, but he can't quite bring it under control before David Lopez gets a foot in to clear.
12'
Espanyol get their foot on the ball at least for a couple of minutes, easing the pressure on their backline. Not a lot of action at either end of the pitch.
10'
The Whites have seen a lot of the ball in the Espanyol half, but have not had a great deal of penetration other than Isco's early break.
8'
Real are dominating possession in the early stages of the game. The visitors have barely had kick outside of their own half.
6'
Isco raids down the left flank and stands the ball up to the back post. Ramos sticks out a leg, but he sends his effort wide of the target.
4'
Pau Lopez comes off his line to punch a Kroos' corner away from the six-yard box. It allows Asensio to gather on the edge of the box and strike on the half-volley. He hits his effort into the ground, but it sails just past the post.
3'
Nacho raids down the left and he cuts the ball back to Isco on the edge of the box. He lines up a strike, but the ball lands safely in the hands of Pau Lopez.
1'
We're underway at the Bernabeu.
CHANCE! Real could be ahead in the first 20 seconds as Ramos' ball forward falls perfectly for Isco, but his low drive is well saved by Pau Lopez. What a chance for the Spaniard.
Real start the evening 10 points off the pace of Barcelona at the top of the table following the Catalan club's win over Las Palmas. Zindine Zidane and his side know that they have to muster a response to stop Barca taking command of the title race.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the LaLiga clash between Real Madrid and Espanyol at the Bernabeu.
Zidane's men were stunned in their last outing at the Bernabeu, suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Betis. They bounced back with a 2-1 win over Alaves last time out, but are still way off their best form in the league, although Cristiano Ronaldo inspired a 3-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund during the week in the Champions League.
The team news has been announced and we'll start with the home side.
Espanyol come into the contest off the back of a three-match unbeaten run. They hammered Deportivo in their last outing 4-1, while they also claimed a narrow win over Celta de Vigo and drew on the road against Villarreal.
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Navas; Achraf, Ramos, Varane, Nacho; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Asensio, Isco, Ronaldo.
Real subs: Casilla, Vallejo, Lucas Vazquez, Llorente, Mayoral, Ceballos, Tejero.
Espanyol subs: Diego Lopez, M. Navarro, Naldo, Garcia, Didac, Diop, Granero.
Zidane has made two changes from his side that beat Dortmund during the week. Achraf Hakimi comes into the side to replace Dani Carvajal, while Marco Asensio joins Ronaldo and Isco in the attack in place of Gareth Bale.
Sergio Sanchez, Marco Roca, Javi Fuego all come into the fold this evening for Espanyol from the team that beat Deportivo. Pablo Piatti, Victor Sanchez, Javi Lopez and Oscar Duarte are all sidelined due to injury.
FLASHBACK! Real won this fixture last season thanks to goals from Alvaro Morata and Bale.
STAT ATTACK! Real Madrid have not lost any of their last 19 league games against Espanyol, winning 16 of the contests.
STAT ATTACK! The last time Real failed to win four consecutive home matches was 2004. A draw or loss today would equal that record.
The players are out on the pitch, so we should be underway shortly.
HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 1-0 ESPANYOL
Real Madrid take a 1-0 lead into the break against Espanyol thanks to Isco's strike. It has been a bizarre game as the home side have lacked urgency in the final third, while their lack of energy has been matched by the visitors. However, Gerard Moreno could have brought them level before the break, but his effort hit the post. Zinedine Zidane will want to see more from his team in the second half.
The players are back out for the second half, so we should be underway shortly.
FULL-TIME: REAL MADRID 2-0 ESPANYOL
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Until next time, goodbye.
Real Madrid were far from their best this evening, but a brace from Isco has guided them to the victory this evening. Espanyol had their moments, but a lack of quality in the final third from Gerard Moreno and Leo Baptistao prevented them from getting back into the game. Real close to within seven points of Barcelona and still have plenty of work ahead of them to get back on track.
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