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Two goals from Karim Benzema in the 88th and 100th minutes saw Real Madrid eke out a late 3-1 win at Espanyol on Sunday night. Vinicius Junior scored the visitors' opener, before Joselu levelled the scoring. - Report: Real Madrid-Espanyol | LaLiga table | Upcoming fixtures The victory puts Madrid on top of the LaLiga table, with eternal rivals Barcelona trailing by two points in third place. JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures Rapid Reaction 1. Tchouameni looking at home This was another game -- the second in a row -- in which Aurelien Tchouameni has looked a worthy successor to Casemiro in Real Madrid's midfield. In fact, his assist for the opener -- a clever through-ball which set Vinicius away to slot past goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte -- was a sign that Tchouameni is actually an upgrade when it comes to attacking contributions. They occupy the same position in the team -- this was the first time Tchouameni had started alongside both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric -- but the youngster is keener and quicker to get forward. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has already recognised as much. "He gets into the box," the Madrid manager said last week. "I won't tell him to play like Casemiro." Tchouameni's pass completion was also exceptional here, finishing at 94%. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.) Like the rest of the team, he found the second half more difficult as Espanyol increased the tempo, but the early signs are good. Casemiro hasn't been missed yet. 2. Defensive switch causes uncertainty Ancelotti had been clear that last year's double-winning central defensive pair, David Alaba and Eder Militao, would remain first choice as this campaign got underway. That left high-profile summer signing Antonio Rudiger having to make do so far with some unexpected cameos at full-back, and a start alongside Nacho in a rotated team on opening day. Both Ancelotti and Alaba had said the Austria international would continue to be used in the middle unless in exceptional circumstances, so it was surprise here to see Rudiger alongside Militao, and Alaba moved out to left-back. The call looked suspect when Rudiger and Militao were badly caught out for Joselu's equaliser. A lack of shared game-time was evident as Rudiger stepped up as Militao played Joselu onside, and both failed to react when Joselu's initial effort came back to him. Having three centre-backs of such quality is a luxury, but this is one area of the pitch where consistency of selection is necessary to allow a reliable, error-free partnership to flourish. Karim Benzema scored two late winners as Aurelien Tchouameni stole the show in midfield for Real Madrid. David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images Ancelotti has some difficult decisions to make. 3. Rodrygo's impact off the bench showcases depth When Madrid were struggling here at 1-1 in the second half, Ancelotti turned to his Champions League comeback formula from last season: calling on Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo to add energy and quality off the bench. Few teams enjoy the luxury of being able to field substitutes of this calibre. Camavinga's all-action style is best suited to being deployed in this kind of context, while Rodrygo's ability to make decisive interventions from limited game time -- as he did to great effect in Europe last season -- is hugely impressive. His 88th-minute cross for Benzema's winner was a moment of quality and precision in an otherwise frenetic second period, and he had a goal ruled out for offside in added time, too. Ancelotti said on Saturday that Rodrygo will have a "more important role" this year and feature more often from the start. For now, he's the ideal super-sub when Madrid are chasing a winner.