Good morning and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE coverage of the Spanish Liga fixture between Real Madrid and Espanyol. We'll bring you all the action as it happens at the Santiago Bernabeu. Kick off is at 12:00 GMT.

Real Madrid have played relatively well so far, but Zidane will want his team to step things up in order to turn the screw on Espanyol. This match isn't over yet. A second goal needed.

Well-timed tackle! Mendy's header almost presents Darder with a chance to get a shot away on goal, but Casemiro gets back in time to make a perfect slide tackle on the Espanyol man.

Both managers refrained from making a change at the break. Machin will want his Espanyol team to show more in the way of attacking intent in this second period. They need to play now.

The second half is under way! Real Madrid have a 1-0 lead over Espanyol in this La Liga fixture.

What did you make of the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu? Do Real Madrid deserve to be ahead at the break? Can Espanyol mount a fightback in the second half? Tweet me!

HALF TIME: Real Madrid 1-0 Espanyol. The hosts have been the better of the two teams and probably deserve to have the lead at the break, although Espanyol are not out of this yet.

There will be two minutes of stoppage time played at the end of the first half.

Zidane will be relatively pleased with what he has seen from his Real Madrid team in this first half. It has been far from a vintage performance, but they have been in control.

Lopez is forced into a save! Vinicius gets in behind the Espanyol defence, the angle was narrow, but he still managed to draw the save from Lopez at his near post. Good play from Vinicius.

Lopez is fine to continue and Vinicius has indeed escaped without being shown a second yellow card. The young Brazilian got a bit lucky there. The slip might have saved him.

Lopez looks to be in a bit of trouble here. The stretcher is being readied for the Espanyol player. Vinicius seems to have escaped without being shown a second yellow card, though.

Was that a second booking? Vinicius is already on a yellow card and has just clattered into Lopez. The Brazilian looked to slip. Is that enough to spare him from a second booking and a red card?

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Real Madrid 1 (37 mins - Raphael Varane) Espanyol 0. The deadlock has been broken! A corner kick was only partially cleared, Benzema then played the pass in to Varane who was still up from the back and the French defender finished into the back of the net. That was a very calm and composed finish.

VALVERDE... denied! The Uruguayan midfielder gets the shot away from the edge of the area, it was heading for the top corner of the Espanyol net, but Lopez makes the diving save to deny him.

This is better from Espanyol. Real Madrid have undoubtedly had the better of the first half, but the away side are holding form and are starting to pose a threat of their own as well.

Rodrygo believes that he has won a corner kick for Real Madrid, but the referee sees a foul from the young Brazilian on Darder and the freekick is awarded instead to the away team.

That was a lovely passing move from Real Madrid on the edge of the box with the pass played to Benzema just inside the box, but Calero came across to make the clearing challenge.