A 55th-minute Pepe header from a Luka Modric free-kick handed Real Madrid victory in Cornellà-El Prat and took 'Los Blancos' to within three points of Barcelona and Atlético.
It was a highly competitive affair in the first half, with Cristiano Ronaldo guilty of spurning several chances to give Real Madrid the lead.
Nevertheless, it was 'Los Blancos' who got the breakthrough after the interval, as Modric floated an inch-perfect cross to the far post for Pepe to head home in style.
The Portuguese defender's effort would turn out to be the only goal of the night, in part because of the uncharacteristic lack of poise shown by his compatriot Cristiano, who had a real off night and failed to convert several clear-cut opportunities.
Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla also played a key role in keeping the scoreline down. The shotstopper pulled off a range of impressive saves, notably showing great reflexes and a strong hand to thwart Ronaldo one-on-one.
The hard-fought win leaves Real Madrid three points behind Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid, who share top spot in the table with 50 points at the halfway mark in the 'La Liga' campaign.
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