Cadiz – Espanyol | Cádiz remains afloat at the expense of Espanyol

The Spanish ended a six game losing streak and achieved the first point with Luis García on the bench in the opening duel of LaLiga matchday 30, while Sergio González’s team reaped a valuable draw in the fight for salvation.

The match started with the fans of the RCDE Stadium turned, aware of the importance of the duel, and Espanyol began taking the lead, but very soon lack of control and inaccuracies were imposed as a result of tension and nerves, especially in the needy local team. The first occasion was for Cádiz, with a shot with the right of Rubén Alcaraz near the post Fernando Pacheco’s left after a transition.

In the first half hour, the home team demonstrated its potential in attack with three corner kicks and two shots from Nico Melamed, one from the edge that ended in a corner and an Olympic goal attempt. And his endemic defensive weakness with three yellow cards in his defense of five players: Óscar Gil, Leandro Cabrera and César Montes. Cádiz had lost Fali in defense due to injury, replaced by Víctor Chust in the 19th minute.

The visitors forgave the 0-1 in the 27th minute, in a clear double chance by Sergi Guardiola: Assisted by Alfonso Espino, who in the first act exposed Espanyol’s defensive imbalances, first finishing poorly at first and right after he shot too cross from the penalty spot when the goal seemed sung. Espanyol also caressed the goal with a header from César Montes from a free kick served by Melamed.

The second half was also born with a willing Spaniard, but unlike the first, his ambition did not fade with the minutes, but rather increased. In the 57th minute Sergi Darder put two great crosses into the area: in the first Joselu headed the post and in the second Conan Ledesma repelled Cabrera’s shot, on his return to the Cádiz eleven after four games of sanction. Cádiz awaited their options to counterattack.

Shortly after Joselu scored the 1-0 to center from the right of Melamed, but was in an offside position narrowly. AND hit a ball on the stick again in the 79th minute, again through a pass from Darder and barely a minute after Luis García sacrificed the five-man defense with the entry of Denis Suárez for Cabrera.

The goal could still come in added time, with two new chances for Joselu and with a counterattack wasted by Iván Alejobut the duel ended with the initial 0-0.