The effect? Merely to locate new scapegoats. Ronaldo missed a penalty and defenders Walter Samuel and Michel Salgado were sent off.
Beckham appeared in the second half, Owen disappeared soon afterwards, as impotent on the night as everybody in Madrid colours. England’s captain and vice-captain find themselves in a team devoid of leadership. True, it was their first defeat of the new league campaign, but the manner of it was alarming. They were supine, and Espanyol, a team narrowly spared relegation last May, zipped around them.
José Antonio Camacho, the new head coach, made courageous choices yesterday and they failed him. Injury had already taken Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane out of the line-up, but Owen got Raul’s spot, Beckham’s place went to Juanfran, aged 19 and making only his third start for Madrid.
It was not Camacho’s day. Iker Casillas, the goalkeeper, injured a hand in the warm-up, César Sanchez deputising at short notice. Some adventure he would have, twice stopping a retaken penalty kick from Raul Tamudo after half an hour. No matter: Espanyol’s 43rd-minute lead seemed long overdue. Dani slipped past Roberto Carlos, Tamudo met his cross with a header palmed by César into the path of Maxi, who slid the ball home.
Cue more Camacho reshuffling. Guti arrived at the interval, followed by Beckham but any association with Owen would be brief. The striker was withdrawn 25 minutes from time, his account for his new club still blank.
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“The team aren’t firing on all cylinders at the moment,” said Owen. “But I’ve been content with my first three performances.”
Madrid squandered their best chance when Ronaldo, bought down by Ibarra, had his penalty saved by Idriss Kameni.