Espanyol recovers its goal and looks to Europe

Alan Pace wasn't in the box, and the American hasn't done anything yet to give credit to his management, but the winds of institutional change are sitting wonderfully on this Espanyol side that, without fanfare but with solvency, tamed Oviedo at the Carlos Tartiere to remain perched in the European places. The image of the match, however, was different, as in protest against the match between Barça and Villarreal in Miami, and at the request of the AFE, both teams stopped play for the first 15 seconds.

Despite Manolo González's efforts to hide it, Puado's absence resonated loudly in his team's play. Kike García replaced the captain to share the forward line with Roberto. There was plenty of firepower in search of the goal the team had lacked in previous matches, but it was a risky gamble that led to some defensive imbalances and a clear deficit in football production.

Espanyol wore the white third shirt, the blue first kit shorts and the pink second kit socks.

The team's play was like its kit, extravagant and unprecedented. To avoid similarities with Oviedo, Espanyol wore the white shirt of the third kit, the blue shorts of the first, and the pink socks of the second. An exotic mix. The complete opposite of Manolo González's approach: direct and predictable football.

Luis Carrión made his debut on the Oviedo bench yesterday to the jeers of his own fans, but his team managed to find the advantage in midfield that forced Espanyol to retreat. In the worst moments, Dmitrovic emerged again. The Serbian stopped Ilic in a one-on-one. Riedel, now established in the starting lineup, also appeared with providential cover.

VAR validated Kike García's goal and Pere Milla scored his fourth goal of the season.

It wasn't until Edu Expósito, a mature footballer who brings skill and talent, grew into the match that Espanyol established themselves in the opposition's half. Always with crosses from the wings, faithful to González's plan, the Espanyol made the Carbayón goalkeeper Aaron Escandell the protagonist. First, with a chest shot from Kike García that the goalkeeper blocked on the goal line. Then, after the Espanyol's finest play, in which García headed the ball to Roberto, who deflected the ball into the net against an opponent. Escandell made another miraculous comeback for his team. Before halftime, Pere Milla tried his luck with a free kick that ended with a very artistic save from the home goalkeeper.

That final stretch convinced González to stick to his plan. However, he had a major scare after the restart. Reina, recently substituted, shot off the base of the post, and the ball sailed all the way along the goal line before going wide. Espanyol responded, having already found the tone the match needed. Kike García had another chance that modern football describes as goal-scoring. An unopposed shot from the penalty spot, but perfectly square. Once again, the Oviedo goalkeeper came to the rescue.

Espanyol recognized their superiority, but missed chances were taking their toll. The game broke down when Carlos Romero surged forward down the left, his pass back was deflected by a defender, and Kike García shot just short of the goal line. The referee didn't even notice that the ball had fully entered the goal before Aaron blocked it. VAR stopped the game, and after a three-minute review, the goal was finally awarded.

Manolo González: “We weren't that bad before, nor were Brazil in the 1970s that bad now.”

The Espanyol coach was happy with the result, but also cautious, as the victory shouldn't deflect them from their line of work. "The team has competed well again. But we weren't this bad before, nor are we like the Brazil of the 1970s now. We have things to improve, but I'm happy and proud of the players." After several struggling matches, they found the net again yesterday. "They had the post situation. We created some very clear chances, but we were effective enough to match the chances we created." The coach modified his system to play more directly and avoid Oviedo's pressure. "The idea was to attack with a 3-5-2. We wanted to look for the forwards to help us. They did very well, and I'm happy with them." This is Espanyol's first away win of the season. “The team deserved more in Girona, at Anoeta too, and at the Bernabéu we can lose. We weren't eager to win away, it was more about staying calm and seeing how things go for us.” Finally, he emphasized that the victory reinforces his approach to the game so far. “It's good that the results reinforce the game we're playing. Because you can play great, but if you lose, you're in trouble, and I'm out.”

Oviedo's burst of momentum finally doomed them. Pere Milla, on a counterattack, sealed the match by scoring (his fourth goal of the season) after a cross from Roca from the right. Romero had a chance to score the third, but Roberto's cross fell on his right leg and his shot went over.

In a flash, Espanyol recovered their scoring, and in what a way, they earned their fourth win of the season, which returns them to Europe momentarily and gives Alan Pace his first joy as president of the Blue and Whites.

Technical sheet Oviedo 0 - Espanyol 2

0 – Real Oviedo: Aarón Escandell; Nacho Vidal, Bailly, Carmo, Rahim; Dendoncker, Colombatto (Ovie Ejaria, d. 79); Hassan (Brekalo, d. 65), Ilic (Queen, d. 46), Ilyas Chaira (Forés, d. 79); Rondón (Viñas, m. 65).

2 – RCD Espanyol: Dmitrovic; Rubén Sánchez (El Hilali, d. 79), Cabrera, Riedel, Romero; Dolan (Roca, d. 75), Edu Expósito (Urko, d. 79), Pol Lozano, Pere Milla (Salinas, d. 87); Roberto and Kike (Pickel, m. 75).

Goals: 0-1, M. 74: Kike García. 0-2, M. 82: Pere Milla.

Referee: Busquets Ferrer (Balearic Committee). Booked the home team: Colombatto (39'), Reina (59') and the visiting team: Pere Milla (27').

Matchday 9 of the EA Sports LaLiga match was played at the Carlos Tartiere stadium (Oviedo) in front of 25,625 spectators.