Madrid were not especially convincing in possession, but they kept creating enough pressure to force mistakes late on. The key was how quickly they turned one opening into panic in the box, which is exactly why teams struggle to shut them out. Espanyol will feel hard done by, but that final moment was always going to decide the mood.
There are two ways to read this. Madrid fans will say it is mentality and the ability to find a winner when it matters, while everyone else will point out that the overall performance was patchy and they were hanging on for long spells. Both things can be true, and that is what makes them such an awkward team to face.