Isco Scores Brace To Secure First Home League Win Of The Season

Real Madrid laboured to the three points to close the gap on Barcelona at the top to seven, but failed to impress again on home soil in La Liga.

The tension in the stands was transmitted onto the field as Real fans showed their overwhelming support for a united Spain in the wake of shocking scenes of police brutality to crackdown on an illegal referendum on Catalan independence earlier in the day.

Isco opened the scoring with a neat finish from Cristiano Ronaldo half an hour in.

But after Ronaldo passed up two big chances to extend Madrid's advantage, Espanyol could easily have made them pay.

Gerard Moreno hit the post, whilst Nacho made a brilliant goalline clearance to deny Leo Baptistao.

Isco, though, was far more clinical as he curled home his second of the evening 20 minutes from time.