Real Madrid came from behind to beat mid-table Espanyol 4-1. Thibaut Courtois was unlucky to have a cross deflected into his own net early in the second half, but Dani Carvajal and Rodrygo put the reigning La Liga champions ahead for the first time with a shot shortly afterwards. Substitute Vinícius Júnior added the third goal before Kylian Mbappé scored the fourth from the penalty spot.

Three answers

1. Who would rotate and rest?

Coach Carlo Ancelotti had hinted that this could be “the day” for rotations, with Real Madrid’s fixtures coming thick and fast. There will not be a week with a full seven days between matches until the next international break in mid-October, and that’s after six games in the first month of play, which also included an international break. Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger and, most surprisingly of all, Vinícius Júnior were among those rested, while Fran García, Luka Modrić and Arda Güler came in. That meant a shake-up, with Aurélien Tchouameni moving into central defence to rest the Germany international, who continues to struggle with a knee injury, meaning his minutes will have to be carefully planned after a year of playing almost every free minute. When Espanyol took the lead, Vini was immediately asked to change the game, which does not reflect well on Ancelotti’s confidence in his options.

2. Can Real Madrid continue their home defensive record?

Los Blancos had not conceded a goal at the Bernabéu in La Liga since Fermín López scored for Barcelona on April 21 this year. Real Betis (twice), Real Valladolid, Alavés and Cádiz had all come to the capital and could not find a way past the Real Madrid defence before Thibaut Courtois put the ball into his own net. The streak began with 21 minutes from Andriy Lunin between the posts, while loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga also contributed 27 minutes from the bench and the rest with Thibaut Courtois as the leading man. Last season, the team’s longest home streak without conceding a goal in La Liga lasted three games in a row and that has already been achieved in 2024/25. Espanyol failed to get a shot off until Javi Puado tried his luck from the halfway line in the 38th minute but still scored the first goal.

3. Will the bank be needed again?

Perhaps more so than in any other game this season. The influence of the second line, particularly players like Endrick and Brahim Díaz coming off the bench, was crucial to some results and made others look far more relaxed, but here Ancelotti had to call on his reserves to avoid defeat. As soon as Espanyol took the lead, the coach brought Vinícius, who had initially been rested, into the starting line-up, replacing the impressive Arda Güler. That substitution changed the game, with Lucas Vázquez later resting Dani Carvajal after he had scored a goal and late substitutions ensuring others were given a breather rather than playing the full 90 minutes. Here only one change had any real impact, but that was all it took when one man could make such a change in quality. For the second game in a row, Ancelotti was forced to make a change before the 55th minute to adjust his team’s system.

Three questions

1. Was Rodrygo able to make enough of an impression on the left?

For the first time this season, we saw Brazilian striker Rodrygo Goes start on the left flank, with Kylian Mbappé again coming through the middle and Arda Güler coming forward on the right wing. He scored a crucial goal to put them ahead, but he only did so after switching to the right flank. The introduction and impact of Vinícius on the left only further underlined that he needed to be used there and not Rodrygo. His introduction changed the game, creating chances that Rodrygo could take from elsewhere, and his movement and link-up with Mbappé was much stronger, as the third goal showed.

2. Who will be rested on Tuesday against Alavés?

Ancelotti has gone all out with his rotations, leaving many of his big names in the team while resting a few. That means we can expect more changes on Tuesday night against Alavés ahead of next Sunday’s derbi at the Metropolitano. Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Fede Valverde and Kylian Mbappé could all be prime candidates for a rest, given that they have featured regularly. The fitness of Aurélien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham may also need to be monitored given their recent injuries, but use and playing time could help restore their fitness, especially in the case of the Englishman.

3. Why is Real Madrid starting so slowly this season?

Of the eight games Real Madrid have played so far this season, six of them have been 0-0 at half-time. The other two have ended 1-0, in their favour against Mallorca on Matchday 1 and against Las Palmas. In no home game this season have Real Madrid scored in the first half, having scored four in total. After falling behind, Real Madrid began to attack with more purpose and incision, eventually justifying their expected goals, which ended at 3.64, after converting several high-quality chances. Particularly important was the team’s fifth penalty in their last three La Liga games, which Mbappé was able to convert after a frustrating evening in which his xG was 1.0, before stepping up and scoring from 12 yards.