Defeat at the RCDE Stadium for Álvaro Cervera's team by two goals to nil. The 'perico' team, with goals from Raúl de Tomás and Nico on set-pieces, took the three points in the match that closed the ninth match of LaLiga Santander.
The yellows came into the game well at the RCDE Stadium, playing a 4-3-3 formation with their two most attacking lines and pressing high up the pitch to make it difficult for the perico defenders to get the ball out of the box. Espanyol, for their part, were clear in their intentions to use the class of their players up front to find space.
There were chances for both teams, the clearest for the yellows was the occasional rejected ball from corners and the speedy arrivals of Salvi, 'Choco' Lozano and Rubén Sobrino, while the blue-whites had a few chances from Raúl de Tomás, who would be responsible for taking advantage of a dead ball in the cadista box at the end of half-time to send his team into the dressing rooms with a momentary victory on the scoreboard.
The second half kicked off with a run by Salvi and a left-footed shot that was blocked by Diego López, giving way to a back-and-forth game in which both teams ran with and without the ball. In this exchange, Nico was to find the second goal when the scoreboard showed the 65th minute. After a touch from Chust, the ball was fortuitously placed into Conan's goal.
Álvaro Cervera's team looked for a reaction and there were chances that did not come to fruition. Álvaro Negredo and Álvaro Jiménez had the clearest chances on goal, but the ball did not go in, and the match ended with RCD Espanyol winning by two goals to nil.
