Vinicius Junior scored twice for Real Madrid in a 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Sunday, delaying Barcelona's La Liga title celebration. Barcelona would have clinched the title if Real Madrid had dropped points, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s side reduced the gap to 11 points with four matches remaining. Barcelona's next opportunity to claim their 29th league title is in a week, when they host Real Madrid in a highly anticipated Clasico match. A Real Madrid win is essential to prevent Hansi Flick’s side from celebrating. Without the injured Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid arrived in Catalonia on a low note. They knew that even with a victory, they are likely to end a second consecutive season without a major trophy. Barcelona, having defeated Osasuna, were waiting for a Madrid slip-up to celebrate back-to-back Liga titles. Instead, they will have the chance to claim the trophy at Camp Nou. Espanyol, fighting for top-flight survival, needed the points. Madrid had more possession but couldn't convert it into significant chances. Vinicius Junior came closest in the first half with a deflected shot that hit the post. Vinicius was booked for a foul, and El Hilali was shown a red card shortly after. After a VAR review, the card was rescinded.