Famous win was a moment of redemption for Espanyol, whose resurgence is being driven by a former Madridista
This time there was no apology and no regret, and nor should there be. Raúl de Tomás joined
Real Madrid at seven and didn’t finally walk away for 17 years. He left having played just quarter of an hour for the club he always hoped would become home but at least destiny decided it was at the place that actually would be. In October 2014, aged 20, he came on for 15 uneventful minutes against Cornellà, the tiny third-tier team from literally next door who borrowed Espanyol’s ground for the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie with Madrid. In October 2021, aged 27 and now an idol in that same stadium, he led Espanyol to victory against his team – for only the second time in a quarter of a century.
It was a moment’s redemption for them all, arrival announced, their return complete. That day, the coach who gave De Tomás his only minutes as a Madridista was Carlo Ancelotti and as he came on Karim Benzema came off. On Sunday night, he helped ensure the Italian wouldn’t sleep, which Ancelotti admitted this week happens whenever he loses, by scoring the first, skidding to his knees and opening his arms in celebration before Aleix Vidal added a superb second, bursting through, nutmegging Nacho and bending beyond Thibaut Courtois. As for Benzema, he scored a beautiful goal but it wasn’t enough and at the end of a richly deserved 2-1 home win most fans weren’t listening when Espanyol’s manager, Vicente Moreno, insisted no one should “go mad.”