Mallorca 3 - Espanyol 2

Mallorca: Leo Franco; Cordero, Nadal, Fernando Niño, Miguel Soler; Marcos, Engonga (Francisco Soler 46'); Finidi, Ibagaza (Novo 65'), Stankovic (Eto'o 55'); Luque. 4-2-3-1.
Espanyol: Mora; Navas (Cristóbal 63'), Soldevilla, Pochettino, Roger; Sergio, Galca; Velamazán, Martín Posse (Oscar 77'), Arteaga (Toledo 46'); Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Mallorca: Cordero, Fernando Niño for Armando, Olaizola / Espanyol: No change.

Goals:
0-1. 12. Tamudo. Received chipped pass from Sergio and scored.
1-1. 21. Marcos. After triangular move with Ibagaza and Finidi.
1-2. 34. Martín Posse. Following up after Tamudo shot blocked by defence.
2-2. 57. Fernando Niño. Headed past keeper after corner from left.
3-2. 75. Eto'o. Long shot which took a deflection off defender and sped past Mora.

Samuel Eto'o came on as a second half substitute against his old club to win this game with a spectacular goal seven minutes from full time. Eto'o left Espanyol two years ago after failing to get in the side under the then manager Brindisi, but his replacement Paco Flores tried unsuccessfully to get him back for this season when Real Madrid wanted to loan him out. The Camerooni striker preferred to return to Mallorca where he had such a good season last year, but since then he has clashed with their new manager Luis Aragonés, who left him on the bench again at the start of this game. Playing a more defensive line up, Aragonés preferred to give the three non-EU spots to his midfield trio of Finidi, Ibagaza and Stankovic who did so well last week against Celta. He had to change his back four though after Armando and Olaizola were suspended for one game, with Fernando Niño returning from his one match suspension in the centre and Cordero preferred at right back to Siviero who has just recovered from a long injury.

Espanyol were unchanged, with the versatile Navas keeping his place at right back. The Argentinian was one of three or four men being watched by West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp, knowing that Espanyol are looking to sell players this winter to help them out of their financial difficulties. New signing Nishizawa was in the stands as manager Paco Flores still has to decide whether to include him in the squad or loan him out to a second division team, with Lleida favourites to take him if he goes. Before the match Aragonés expressed his fears that Espanyol were going to play on the counter-attack, and they did just that, going ahead twice in this game before Mallorca came back to take the three points. In the twelfth minute Sergio and Tamudo combined for the young striker to shoot low past Leo Franco in their first attack of the game. Marcos equalised for the home side, and Luque very nearly gave them the lead before Espanyol struck again, this time Martín Posse snapping up a chance near to goal. At half time Aragonés brought on Paco Soler for the injured Engonga, and almost immediately the home fans, already angry at the refereeing decisions at the weekend which cost their side a victory, bayed for a penalty as Ibagaza fell in the area. However referee Losantos Omar held fast, and correctly waved play on.

Eto'o came on for Stankovic (recently linked with a move to Javier Clemente's Olympique Marseille), and within a couple of minutes Mallorca were back level, Fernando Niño celebrating his return to the side with his first goal of the season. Flores had seen that Mallorca's main threat came from their wingers, and at half time he pulled off Arteaga to move Roger into midfield and bring on Toledo, a more orthodox left back, to shadow Finidi. Now he did the same on the right side, with veteran full back Cristóbal returning from injury to replace Navas as he settled for a draw. But Eto'o made his mark, giving his team victory and taking them back up the table to fifth. Flores is now starting to be criticised after his fourth defeat in a row, although to be fair to him three of those came against Depor, Barça and Real Madrid. The name of Spain's manager José Antonio Camacho came up again as a possible technical secretary to take some of the weight off him, although any such move is unlikely until the end of the season. Flores worked as Camacho's assistant when he was manager at Espanyol, and welcomed the idea. Right now though they are down in a perilous sixteenth place, and need to concentrate on the present.