Real Madrid preserved their 100% record with a comfortable 3-0
win at Espanyol in the Primera Division to join fierce rivals Barcelona
at the top of the table after two rounds of the championship.
Esteban Granero, Guti and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged the goals to
give Manuel Pellegrini's side a somewhat flattering win against
an Espanyol team playing their first competitive match at their
Cornella-El Prat stadium.
The Catalans were determined to turn it into a tribute to their
former captain Dani Jarque, who died of a heart attack last month.
In the stadium's inauguration, Jarque had led the team out and
starred as Espanyol beat Liverpool 3-0.
But he was dead less than a week later and there was a minute's
silence in his honour before kick-off.
That was to be expected.
But what was not expected was the sight of the world's most expensive
player warming the Madrid bench.
Ronaldo was left out by Pellegrini, along with Raul and Lassana
Diarra, but the Chilean coach was surely thinking ahead to Tuesday's
Champions League clash with FC Zurich in Switzerland.
Their absence meant a chance in the starting line-up for Guti,
Granero and Gonzalo Higuain in a rather different Madrid XI.
But summer signings Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso all started
in what remained a dangerous-looking Madrid attack.
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