Real Madrid's failure to take all three points against Espanyol on Saturday evening handed the league title to Barcelona.

It was the home side that took the lead after 23 minutes when Christian Stuani turned home after good work from Sergio Garcia.

However, Madrid were level early in the second period when Gonzalo Higuain found the back of the net with a deft header.

It was not enough to keep their title challenge alive, however, with Espanyol repelling the danger in the latter stages to secure a share of the spoils.

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

Match statistics:

Espanyol:
Shots: 6
On target: 5
Possession: 29%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 13

Madrid:
Shots: 5
On target: 4
Possession: 71%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

Based on the 90 minutes as a whole, a 1-1 draw was just about a fair reflection of events. There is no question that Espanyol were the better side in the first period, where they should have scored at least twice. However, Madrid were a different team in the second, helped by the introduction of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. It was an open affair, but neither team really did enough to secure all three points.

Espanyol's performance

It had been suggested that Espanyol would drift through the 90 minutes with not too much to play for in the remaining weeks of the season, but that was certainly not the case. The home team were simply dominant in the first period, with Madrid unable to deal with their pace and power. They were under pressure for a large part of the second half, but were well worth a share of the spoils.

Madrid's performance

Jose Mourinho rested a number of players ahead of their Copa del Rey final with Atletico Madrid next Friday, which showed in their performance. They are just not the same side without Ronaldo leading the line, while their defence, which has been average at the best of times, looked nervous and edgy once more. They now sit seven points behind champions Barcelona, who have two matches in hand.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Sergio Garcia: The Espanyol striker is not the most cultured forward in the division, but what he lacks in quality he more than makes up for in pure desire. He did not give the Madrid defence a moments peace this evening, while it was the 29-year-old who assisted Stuani in the opening goal of the match.

Biggest gaffe of the match

Hector Moreno thought that he had scored Espanyol's second of the match after 28 minutes, but the referee chalked it off for a foul on Xabi Alonso. It was a horror decision from the official, with Moreno making no contact with the Madrid midfielder, who was simply caught under the ball.

Referee performance

Aside from disallowing a perfectly good goal for the home side, Ignacio Iglesias had a productive 90 minutes of action this evening. He has largely a spectator in the first period with hardly a challenge of note, but he was quick on the scene when deemed necessary in the second half.

What next?

Espanyol: Espanyol are on the road next Sunday when they travel to relegation-threatened Deportivo La Coruna.

Madrid: Mourinho will attempt to secure the Copa del Rey trophy when his side lock horns with capital rivals Atletico Madrid in the final on Friday.