Espanyol’s goal is suffering from a sore eye. The heirs of Diego López are making the legacy of the veteran Galician goalkeeper even bigger, a figure whom Espanyol did not expect to miss so much at this time of the year. But the succession of blatant and inexplicable mistakes, the last of them by Álvaro Fernández, in added time, takes its toll on a Spaniard who has a serious problem under the posts. The white-and-blue goalkeeper gave Valencia an unexpected draw (2-2) in a high ball that could have been blocked or denied, but which he let go, thinking it was not going between the posts. A point of 12 at home for a Spaniard who can’t find the keys.
The parrots have once again shown that they are a team that feels more comfortable attacking without the ball, with intense pressure in the opponent’s field, than creating play from behind, in their own field. Diego Martínez has turned the essence of the white-and-blues upside down, who now come out to bite the rivals with more advanced lines. As had happened in previous games, against Valencia they also managed to cause some losses in the construction zone in the first minutes, when the legs of the locals were full of energy.
The problem with this Spaniard is that he bases almost everything on this idea and that he still doesn’t know how to take advantage of the mistakes he causes in rival defenses. This strategy also carries a risk: reaching the middle of the first half with a higher level of wear and tear than usual, which forces you to go back. As the previous teams did, Valencia resisted the Spanish push in the first few minutes and, without any haste, took control of the game based on long possessions.
With Guillamón as conductor and Cavani as a false nine who dropped to create spaces inside at the ends, Valencia have found venom in the two attacking wing men, especially a Lino who has done what he wanted with the right side of Espanyol circumstances, Fernando Calero. With the casualties of Óscar Gil and Rubén Sánchez, Diego Martínez has preferred to recycle a center who he has already tested in three positions this season (Calero had also played some friendlies as a midfielder) instead of exposing two less experienced profiles and that they suffer more defensively like the young Omar or the veteran Aleix Vidal. The latter helped shake the Spaniards after entering the break, but to act as a winger.
Darder leads the local reaction
Lino, a promising winger who landed in Valencia this summer on loan from Atlético, has been a real pain for Espanyol. All the danger created by the Valencian players in the first half has gone through his boots. The Brazilian had to touch the goal in a very clear hand to hand thwarted by Álvaro Fernández and, then, with a cross shot that went off the post. He also provided an assist to Cavani, who finished in the clouds. Espanyol, who have been falling behind as the minutes go by, continue to miss more prominence from a Darder who goes unnoticed when his teammates play more up than down.
And it was precisely through the air, in a corner, that Valencia opened the can at the start of the restart. Gabriel Paulista won the position for Vinícius and headed a tight shot to the base of the post that was unstoppable for Álvaro Fernández. Far from being discouraged, however, Espanyol found in the conceded goal the shocker they needed to find the back of the net. Just two minutes later, Joselu hunted down a rebound in the box and produced a difficult curling shot past Mamardashvili. Fourth goal in this Liga del punta, which is being one of the few positive news in attack for the white-and-blues.
The early draw was a morale boost for the white-and-blues, who had the second to touch after Darder drew a beautiful pass into space for Joselu, who fired high when he had everything in his favor for sign the doublet. Also Keidi Bare, not used to stepping into the opponent’s area, was able to score 2-1, but wasted a dead ball in a corner. With Cornellà-El Prat overturned in an open final stretch, with both teams reaching the areas, Espanyol has entrusted the talent of Melamed and Darder to finally break the curse at home. With a prodigious and lethal start, the white-and-blue captain caused ecstasy in the stands with a whip from the front that surprised Mamardashvili.
Valencia, powerless after receiving the second, were left with a man less after Marcos André put his hand in the face of Vinícius. The Spanish midfielder put more bread than cheese, but Pizarro Gómez did not hesitate to send off the Valencian player with a straight red card. In crazy added time, Braithwaite was sent off for impeding an opponent with his arm and Alvaro Fernández saved 2-2 under the goal line after swallowing a shot that looked reachable. The goalkeeper, who could have finished the match as one of the heroes, ended up starring in the joke of the day (and probably also of the League): thinking that a high ball would not go between the posts, he threw up his arms and he ended up swallowing the goal. The goalkeeper finished the game inconsolable, cheered on by teammates and rivals. Espanyol is still without a win in Cornellà-El Prat.
