Espanyol continues to make life difficult for himself. Even playing at home, in front of the team, the white-and-blues managed to have an averagely placid game (2-2). The Spanish team has been playing with fire for many weeks, and most of them end up burning. The same thing happened to him against an Elche team that had only collected three points in 10 games and that dominated many phases of the match in Cornellà-El Prat. Espanyol, for a very short time, will sleep this week out of relegation, but with more than worrisome feelings.
Diego Martínez’s team is in the emergency room, either because the squad has many deficiencies (one piece of evidence) or because the Galician coach can’t find the key (another piece of evidence). Winning the cuer would not have cured the disease, but at least it would have conveyed the feeling that Espanyol is able to prevail, in its stadium, against teams from the middle and lower areas. After losing to Rayo Vallecano, drawing with Valencia and winning against Valladolid, a draw against Elche cannot, in any case, be considered a good result. And less in a match where the bidders have had options until the end to take home a bigger prize.
The game did not start well for the interests of Espanyol, who have once again suffered the success that Pere Milla maintains with all the Catalans he faces. The man from Lleida, who has scored one goal for Barça and two for Girona, has scored the third of his personal account against Espanyol, who only took 11 minutes to score the first goal. The Elche striker headed a cross from the edge of the area that surprised Lecomte.
Espanyol went through a few minutes of nervousness in which they started to hang balls in the pot. Fortunately, in front of him was an Elx who, despite playing with three central players, showed why they are the team with the most goals in the League. From a horrible rejection in a corner, the tie was born. Expósito collected the rejection, inside the area, and after a great individual maneuver Puado was pleased with the assistance of the 1-1. First target for the Barcelona striker in a course where the goal was being resisted. The tie has reduced the tension in the atmosphere, but it has not given the ball to a Spaniard who has seen what Elche was like and who was most eager to play.
Espanyol went to the dressing room at half-time with a bittersweet aftertaste, after Munuera Montero drew a red card to Helibelton Palacios after seeing the replay on the monitor. Puado wins the race from Palacios and Verdú and is about to enter the area in a favorable position to shoot or gift a half-made goal to a teammate. The Colombian full-back grabs him by the arm, destabilizing him enough to slow him down without touching the ball. It looks like a straight red action, as the visiting defender avoids an obvious scoring chance by fouling, and in fact the referee interprets it that way, but modifies his opinion after reviewing the move. The explanation he gives is that Bigas could have come to interfere in Puado’s action, an assumption that did not convince the Cornellà-El Prat public, the Espanyol players and neither did an incredulous Diego Martínez.
Frustrated comeback
The white-and-blues have tried to put another gear in the restart. Brian Oliván, who was once again one of the best in his team, took the initiative looking for the second with two long shots. He was found shortly after by Braithwaite in a play made by Aleix Vidal and Óscar Gil. With half an hour to go, Espanyol was afraid to be brave and go for the third. In fact, he hasn’t even known how to defend himself with the ball. With Vinicius and Keidi in midfield it is difficult to suggest against any team. Espanyol only threatened when Elche made serious mistakes. Like one from Badia, who ended up correcting the goalkeeper himself by sending Joselu’s header into the corner.
Eight minutes before the break, Verdú was the one who silenced Cornellà-El Prat by finishing off a poorly defended lateral foul. Elche has left a Spaniard who already thought they had the prize of three points in their hands. Darder, changed, did not finish the match. And Melamed, who inexplicably continues to have a residual role in a team lacking in creativity, smashed a ball over the crossbar in the 94th minute. The patient does not look good. Espanyol needs to do much more.
