Espanyol 1 - Real Madrid 0

Espanyol: Kameni; Ibarra, Lopo, Pochettino, David García; Maxi (Corominas 89'), Ito, De la Peña, Oscar Serrano; Dani (Fredson 68'), Tamudo (Amavisca 91'). 4-4-2.
Madrid: César; Salgado, Pavón (Guti 46'), Samuel, Roberto Carlos; Celades, Iván Helguera; Juanfran (Beckham 55'), Owen (Morientes 65'), Solari; Ronaldo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Ibarra, De la Peña for Jarque, Alex Fernández / Madrid: César, Samuel, Celades, Juanfran, Owen, Solari for Casillas, Raúl Bravo, Beckham, Figo, Raúl, Zidane.

Goals:
1-0. 42. Maxi. Followed up after César blocked Tamudo header from Dani cross.

Another disastrous performance from Real Madrid as they lost 1-0 at Espanyol, their second defeat in three days. Camacho rested several of his key players after the match at Leverkusen, leaving Raúl and Beckham on the bench and missing Figo and Zidane through injury, and Casillas also had to take a back seat after injuring a hand in the pre-match warm up, with César taking over even though he too was nursing a knock.

Madrid could have gone behind early on though when Espanyol were awarded a penalty, but César saved Tamudo's first kick, and also his second after referee Lizondo Cortés ordered it to be retaken after Roberto Carlos encroached on the area. But the reserve keeper could only block Tamudo's header just before half time, and Maxi quickly nipped in to score his fourth in two matches.

The visitors could have equalised soon after the break when they too were awarded a penalty after Ibarra fouled Ronaldo, but Kameni dived low to push Ronaldo's spot kick round the post. And to top of a bad week for the "Galacticos", Samuel and Salgado were both sent off later on, the former for a second bookable offence a quarter of an hour from the end and the latter for elbowing an opponent in the last minute. Espanyol though go from strength to strength, and the victory takes them to the top of the table pending Sunday's games.