Real Madrid edge Espanyol 2-1 with late Espi winner

Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1 at RCDE Stadium as substitute Carlos Espi scored a late winner in the Spanish LaLiga.

Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the ninth minute, heading Arda Guler's free-kick delivery past Marko Dmitrovic.

Espanyol responded in the 30th minute when Javi Hernandez found Alex Calatrava inside the penalty area, and the midfielder fired past Thibaut Courtois to level.

Real Madrid nearly regained the lead in the 53rd minute as Guler found Bellingham from a corner, but Dmitrovic tipped the England midfielder's header onto the crossbar.

Federico Valverde also came close in the 78th minute, with his deflected effort striking the outside of the post.

Manager Jose Mourinho made changes as Real Madrid searched for a winner, bringing on Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella in the 64th minute before introducing Eduardo Camavinga, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Espi in the 80th.

Those changes paid off in the closing stages.

Espi, who replaced Bellingham in the 80th minute, decided the match in the 90th minute.

Kylian Mbappe drove into the penalty area before the ball fell to Espi, who moved it onto his right foot, took Dmitrovic out of the play and fired into an empty net to secure the victory.

Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning the LaLiga title in the 2011-12 season, as well as the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup during his first stint with the club.