Vinícius Júnior scored two second-half goals as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 on Sunday, forcing Barcelona to wait at least another week before it can clinch the Spanish league title.
Barcelona had beaten Osasuna 2-1 on Saturday to open a 14-point gap over Madrid. Had Real Madrid failed to win, Barcelona would have secured its 29th league title this weekend.
Looking ahead to the clásico
Barcelona will have a chance to clinch the title next weekend when it hosts Real Madrid in the "clásico" at Camp Nou.
"We have a big game against a great rival and they have been playing well," Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said. "It's a special game for the fans, for us. We are going to rest and prepare well for it."
Match details
Vinícius broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a clever fake move to beat Espanyol defenders inside the area. The Brazil forward added to the lead in the 66th, finishing into the top corner after a back-heel pass from Jude Bellingham.
Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali was initially shown a straight red card for a foul on Vinícius, but the call was reduced to a yellow after video review.
Madrid lost left back Ferland Mendy 10 minutes into the match due to an apparent muscle injury. Espanyol remains winless in 17 games this year, sitting 13th in the table, five points from the relegation zone.
Other results
Rayo Vallecano prepared for its Conference League semifinal against Strasbourg with a 2-0 win at Getafe. Sergio Camello and Randy Nteka scored, while goalkeeper Augusto Batalla saved a penalty.
Celta Vigo boosted its European qualification hopes with a 3-1 home win over Elche, moving above Getafe into sixth place.
Real Betis defeated last-place Oviedo 3-0 at home, with Cucho Hernández scoring twice. The result leaves Oviedo on the verge of relegation.