Los Blancos were reduced to 10 men early in the second period when Fabio Coentrao received his marching orders, but it mattered little in terms of the final result as Nacho scored a third late on.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.

Match statistics

REAL MADRID
Shots: 18
On target: 5
Possession: 55%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11

ESPANYOL
Shots: 11
On target: 4
Possession: 45%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 14

Was the result fair?

It was a routine afternoon for Real Madrid. Espanyol had their moments in the early stages, but it was their willingness to attack that ultimately left space for the home side to exploit. The first goal came after a brilliant move involving Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, with James on hand to find the bottom corner. When Bale's stunning free kick went in, it was always going to be difficult for the away side to launch a response.

Coentrao's red card early in the second period certainly raised Espanyol's spirits, but they never really offered the impression that they were capable of turning it around. Instead, it was Madrid who got stronger and their third came 15 minutes from time when Nacho scored his first league goal for the club. It was a professional performance from the league leaders.

Real Madrid's performance

Los Blancos entered the match off the back of two successive defeats, but there was never a danger that it would become three. Real were not at their free-flowing best, but a couple of excellent goals moved them 2-0 ahead, before Nacho made sure of the points late on. As touched upon, Espanyol's front two of Felipe Caicedo and Sergio Garcia certainly unnerved the home side's defence, but chances for the visitors were few and far between.

The same can be said for Madrid, however, despite the fact that they had 18 attempts. Ronaldo had a fairly frustrating afternoon, while the Bernabeu crowd seemed to whistle Bale when he shot instead of playing in Ronaldo in the second period. There are certainly a couple of in-house issues at the moment, but the three points were vital here. As it stands, they are four points clear at the top of the table ahead of Barcelona's meeting with Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Espanyol's performance

Espanyol's away form in the league this season has been extremely poor, with just one win on the road. However, they must be admired for their approach to this match. Both Garcia and Caicedo were selected, while Paco Montanes was also given an advanced role at the Bernabeu. Their approach kicked in from the very first minute and both of their forwards had half-chances early on. It was always going to be the type of match where they needed to score first, however, and that did not transpire.

Espanyol played very well for 45 minutes at Barcelona earlier in the season, but struggled in the second period. They were fairly solid defensively in the second half in Madrid, but the damage had already been done by the break. The visitors were handed a lifeline when Coentrao was sent off for a challenge on Jose Canas, but they still struggled to create clear openings. That said, how Espanyol fare this season is not going to depend on their results at places such as the Bernabeu.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Isco: It was not really a match full of star performers, but Isco was again brilliant for Real Madrid. It seems a long time ago that the Spaniard struggled to make the breakthrough into the first XI, with his form this season having been excellent. The former Malaga playmaker radiated class each time that he had possession and set up a number of chances in the second period.

Biggest gaffe

It is open to debate, but Coentrao will certainly feel that his red card was harsh. The left-back went into a 50-50 challenge with Canas, which caused both players some harm. However, it was the Madrid defender that was sent from the field. Referee David Fernandez issued no punishment to Canas, however, despite the nature of the challenge.

Referee performance

As mentioned, Fernandez's decision to send Coentrao from the field might have been a little harsh and that was not the first time that he had upset a Real player, with Ronaldo showing his frustration with the official for much of the match. That said, Ronaldo was the only Madrid player booked, while Espanyol had four cards to their name. Both sides were a little frustrated by Fernandez's inconsistency, with certain challenges allowed while others were penalised.

What next?

Real Madrid: Los Blancos will hope to overturn a two-goal deficit when they travel to Atletico Madrid for the second leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey clash on Thursday. Their next league match is away to Getafe on January 18.

Espanyol: Espanyol are also in Copa action next week, with the Barcelona-based side trail due to face Valencia, trailing 2-1 from the first leg at the Mestalla. They return to league action at home to Celta Vigo next Saturday.