Zabiri Late Winner Seals Racing Santander Comeback Against Espanyol

Racing Santander Espanyol 2-1 Zabiri: Racing Santander came from behind to beat Espanyol 2-1 at El Sardinero on Saturday evening, with Yassir Zabiri scoring a late winner to complete a stirring comeback. Espanyol took the lead through Edu Exposito in the 62nd minute, but Jeanuel Belocian levelled the scores seven minutes later, and Zabiri struck in the 84th minute to seal three precious points for the home side. The goal took Zabiri to eight goals for the season, joint third in the LaLiga scoring charts alongside Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, and placed the Morocco striker in elite company. The win lifted Racing to 11 points and 12th place in the table, while Espanyol remained stuck on eight points in 18th place, deep in relegation trouble. The comeback also ended a four match winless run for Racing, and the celebrations at El Sardinero reflected the importance of the result.

Racing Santander Espanyol 2-1 Zabiri: What Happened

The first half finished goalless despite chances at both ends, with Racing enjoying more of the ball and Espanyol defending with discipline. The match opened up after the break, when Exposito put Espanyol ahead in the 62nd minute, finishing an attacking move with a right footed shot. The lead lasted only seven minutes. Belocian collected a pass from Sergio Canales and fired home a powerful left footed strike in the 69th minute to restore parity and lift the home crowd. Racing pushed for a winner in the closing stages, and the decisive moment arrived in the 84th minute, when Zabiri capitalised on a loose ball inside the penalty area and converted from close range. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the home supporters and left Espanyol with too little time to respond. The final whistle confirmed a comeback win that felt significant for both clubs, for very different reasons.

Key Moments From Exposito 62nd Minute Opener to Belocian Equaliser and Zabiri 84th Minute Winner

The opening goal from Exposito tested the character of the home side, because Racing had dominated possession without reward and suddenly trailed against the run of play. The response was immediate and impressive, with Belocian scoring a superb equaliser that changed the momentum of the match. The substitutions made by the Racing coaching staff added fresh energy in the final quarter, and the pressure built steadily on the Espanyol goal. Zabiri and the winning goal came from a moment of sharp instinct inside the penalty area, with the striker reacting quickest to a poorly cleared ball. The closing minutes saw Espanyol push forward in search of an equaliser, but Racing defended the lead with discipline and held on for the win. The match statistics told the story of home dominance, with Racing recording 23 shots to 11 for Espanyol, nine shots on target to one, and nine corners to four.

The Zabiri Story With Eight Goals in Ten LaLiga Matches and Elite Company Alongside Lamine Yamal

The story of the match belongs to Zabiri. The Morocco forward now has eight goals in his first ten LaLiga matches, a return that puts him joint third in the scoring charts alongside Lamine Yamal. The statistics account MisterChip noted on social media that Zabiri had joined an extraordinary list of players who scored eight goals or more in their first ten LaLiga matches. The list includes Johan Cruyff, Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Robert Lewandowski, and Jude Bellingham, among others. To join that company in a first season in Spanish football marks Zabiri as one of the breakthrough stars of the campaign. The striker has become the focal point of the Racing attack, combining movement, strength, and composure in front of goal. Opponents now plan specifically for Zabiri, but the Espanyol match showed why that planning is so difficult, because the winning goal came from anticipation and instinct rather than a rehearsed move.

Background and Context on Racing Four Match Winless Run and Pressure Building Before Espanyol

Racing arrived at the match on a four match winless run, and the pressure had started to build after a promising start to the season. The club sits in mid table, but the gap between mid table comfort and relegation trouble in LaLiga is narrow, and a home win against a struggling side felt essential. Espanyol arrived at El Sardinero in desperate form, with only eight points from nine matches before kick off and a run of results that left the club second from bottom in the live table at one stage of the season. The visitors defended well for long spells and looked set to take a valuable point, but the late collapse will hurt. Espanyol have now lost further ground in the fight for survival, and the coaching staff must find a way to hold leads in the closing stages of matches. Racing, by contrast, will take huge confidence from the comeback, because winning from behind is often the sign of a squad with belief and character.

What the Racing Santander 2-1 Espanyol Result Means for Racing 12th Place and Espanyol 18th Place

The result changes the mood around both clubs. Racing moved to 11 points and climbed to 12th place, giving the squad a cushion above the relegation zone and momentum ahead of a huge fixture against Real Madrid on Sunday 1 November. Zabiri and the scoring form gives Racing a genuine star, and the home crowd will now expect more performances like the comeback against Espanyol. For Espanyol, the defeat deepens the crisis. Eight points from ten matches leaves the club in 18th place, and the pattern of conceding late goals must be addressed urgently. The visitors showed organisation and threat on the counter attack, but the inability to protect a lead will cost points across a long season. The relegation battle in LaLiga looks tight, and every point dropped from a winning position could prove decisive in May.

What Next for Racing With Real Madrid at El Sardinero on Sunday 1 November in a Glamorous Fixture

Racing host Real Madrid on Sunday 1 November in a glamorous fixture at El Sardinero, with Zabiri set to test himself against one of the strongest defences in Europe. Espanyol host Villarreal on Friday 30 October, with a chance to respond quickly and to climb out of the relegation zone. Both fixtures will test the lessons of Saturday, with Racing hoping to carry the momentum of the comeback into the biggest home match of the season, and Espanyol hoping to learn how to protect a lead. The LaLiga season is only ten matches old, but the shape of the table is already clear, and the clubs at the bottom cannot afford many more afternoons like the one at El Sardinero.

Match	Racing Santander 2-1 Espanyol
Competition	LaLiga matchday 10
Venue	El Sardinero, Santander
Date	Saturday 24 October 2026
Goals	Edu Exposito 62nd minute, Jeanuel Belocian 69th minute, Yassir Zabiri 84th minute
Zabiri season goals	8 goals in 10 LaLiga matches
Racing points	11 from 10 matches, 12th place
Espanyol points	8 from 10 matches, 18th place

Conclusion on a Breakthrough Afternoon When Zabiri Late Winner Sealed a Racing Comeback

Zabiri struck the winner for Racing Santander late in the match, and the 2-1 comeback win over Espanyol will be remembered as the afternoon when a breakthrough star announced himself to a wider audience. Racing showed character to recover from a goal down, and the reward was three points that ended a winless run and lifted the club into mid table. Espanyol left Santander with nothing, and the late collapse added to a growing sense of crisis. For Zabiri, the goal was another step on a remarkable journey, and the company he now keeps in the record books says plenty about the scale of the achievement.