Real Madrid concede La Liga title to Barcelona and other things learned from loss to Espanyol

Here’s a look at what we learned from the encounter.

Madrid go through the motions

Any talk from Real Madrid’s camp that they hadn’t given up on catching Barcelona in La Liga was exposed as a fallacy by this performance, with Zinedine Zidane’s players appearing to regard the game as an unwanted irritation while they wait for the battles that really matter in the Champions League.

With some players injured and others rested, this was a far cry from Zidane’s strongest eleven and players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo and Luka Modric would have surely made a vast improvement to the paucity of attacking penetration on display from Los Blancos in this game.

But although it’s clear their priority is the European stage, the indifference shown by Madrid on Tuesday night is a dangerous attitude for two reasons: firstly it will attract more negativity and pressure at a time that confidence needs to be built, and secondly it leaves them in danger of being overhauled by Valencia for third place in La Liga.

What’s going on with Bale?

Is Gareth Bale a centre forward now? Or still a right winger? Or will he play mainly on the left? The Welshman, who was sent out down the middle tonight, has played in all three positions in recent weeks, giving the impression that Zidane doesn’t really know what to do with him.

Amid reams of speculation about Bale’s future, the idea that he is being shoved around wherever Zidane needs to fill a gap doesn’t exactly bode well for the club’s desire to keep him. Rather than a team being built around Bale, at the moment he is having to fit into a team being built for others, and that is doing nothing to help him gather the rhythm and confidence required to recover his best form.

Bale didn’t exactly play badly in this game, and he certainly looked the Madrid player most likely to score. But he only appeared in fits and starts, often going long periods without even touching the ball, and right now he’s a bits and pieces player for Zidane rather than a fundamental star. The way things are going, his time in Spain is drawing to a close.

Moreno shines again

In an otherwise drab season for Espanyol, the shining light has without any doubt been Gerard Moreno and the sleek and slick centre forward was again outstanding to become the match-winning hero with a superbly taken 93rd minute goal.

That goal was a fair reflection of his overall performance as well, because Moreno was easily the brightest attacking player on the pitch throughout the game. He showed a deft touch in control, good awareness to bring his teammates into play and always threatened the goal, coming close on several occasions before finally hitting the jackpot.

The former Villarreal man has now scored against both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the last few weeks, taking his tally for the season to 11 goals in the league. That’s the joint second-highest total of any Spanish player, behind Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas, and on current form he could be a dark horse to earn a late call-up into Julen Lopetegui’s World Cup squad this summer.