Espanyol vs. Real Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga
Real Madrid used three goals in the final 11 minutes to power past Espanyol 4-1 in their penultimate match of the 2014-15 Primera Liga campaign.
Despite their strong final act on the road, Los Blancos fell short in their quest for the league title, which Barcelona clinched by way of a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Before Real Madrid officially secured second place in the table, Cristiano Ronaldo handed them some hope through a hat-trick, with Marcelo also scoring for the visitors.
Continue reading for a look at the winners and losers from Real Madrid's victory over Espanyol.
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo
1 of 6
It took some time for Ronaldo to make a major impact in the Real Madrid attack. But when he did, he sprung Los Blancos into the lead.
Three minutes after blasting a free-kick high into the stands, Ronaldo opened the scoring, putting the ball through the legs of Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.
The Portuguese superstar then assured the visitors of three points with his second goal of the match in the 83rd minute.
With his side's title hopes on the brink of extinction, Ronaldo scored what will go down as a consolation goal in the title race on a header at the right post in the 90th minute.
Although he did not pick up the league crown with his side, Ronaldo still has a shot at individual glory, since he leads Lionel Messi by four goals in the race for the Pichichi Trophy, which is presented to La Liga's top goalscorer.
Loser: Keylor Navas
2 of 6
With the prospect of David De Gea joining Real Madrid getting larger by the day, Keylor Navas did not help his standing at Real Madrid in the 73rd minute.
Espanyol forward Christian Stuani outmuscled Navas in a challenge for the ball in the box, which led to the lone goal netted by the hosts on Sunday.
The miscue on the right side of the penalty area was one of the few major moments of the match that involved the Costa Rican goalkeeper.
Depending on whom starts in goal for Real's final game of the season, the error late in the second half against Espanyol may turn out to be the last memory Navas makes at the club.
Winner: Christian Stuani
3 of 6
One of the few positives Espanyol can take out of the 4-1 defeat is the impressive shift put in by Stuani off the bench.
The Uruguayan replaced Felipe Caicedo in the 63rd minute and affected the pace of play in the final third instantly.
Stuani was rewarded for his efforts up top in the 73rd minute, when he took the ball off the feet of Navas. Before he slotted the ball into the back of the net, Stuani had opened up the Real Madrid defense by playing the ball across the box to Sergio Garcia.
After Garcia played the ball back over to Stuani, he had a ton of space in front of him to equalize the match.
The hustle play from Stuani exposed the flaws that remain in the Real Madrid defense, which will most likely be worked on over the summer.
Loser: Gareth Bale
4 of 6
Gareth Bale once again opened himself up for more criticism from Real Madrid fans thanks to his lackluster showing in Sunday's victory.
The Welshman started strongly, but as the first half progressed, his impact on the match diminished greatly. We didn't hear from Bale again until the 81st minute, when he fired a shot on goal that Casilla swatted away.
Bale now has one more match to get back into the good graces of the Madrid faithful before the offseason begins. If he can impress against Getafe at the Bernabeu on Saturday, Bale may be able to keep his spot in the club's lineup heading into the 2015-16 campaign.
Winner: Marcelo
5 of 6
Marcelo unleashed a thunderous shot past Casilla in the 79th minute to put Real Madrid back in the driver's seat at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat.
The defender, who put in an impressive 90-minute shift on the left side of the pitch, lost his footing in the box after he dished the ball over to Ronaldo in the buildup to the goal.
Once he recovered from his slip, Marcelo rocketed his only shot on target into the back of the net. The strike deflated the excitement gained from Stuani's equalizer six minutes earlier.
With the Espanyol players, and the crowd, in poor spirits following the defender's goal, Real Madrid exuded confidence in the final third and scored two more goals before the final whistle.
Loser: Carlo Ancelotti
6 of 6
Although Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will approve of his team's performance on Sunday, it was not good enough to stay alive in the title race.
Ancelotti, who guided Los Blancos to UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey triumphs last season, came up short in his quest to guide his squad to a major trophy this season.
One year without a trophy may seem like nothing for most clubs, but the expectations at Real Madrid are extremely high.
With one game remaining in the league campaign against Getafe on Saturday, Ancelotti's fate hangs in the balance as the offseason approaches.
“It’s not the moment to say if Ancelotti continues. There’s a game left and we need to prepare for what’s coming," Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno said after the match, per AS.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
