Espanyol: Kiko Casilla; Víctor
Sánchez (Cristian Gómez 72'), Raúl Rodríguez,
Héctor Moreno, Didac; Raúl Baena (Weiss 37'), Romaric; Sergio
García, Verdú, Coutinho; Kalu Uche (Javi López 56').
4-2-3-1.
Real: Claudio Bravo; Estrada, Demidov (Cadamuro
76'), Ansotegi, De la Bella; Aranburu, Elustondo; Xabi Prieto, Zurutuza
(Rubén Pardo 66'), Griezmann; Carlos Vela (Agirretxe 70'). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
0-1. 12. Carlos Vela. Cut in from right wing and
curled shot wide of Casilla.
0-2. 14. Carlos Vela. Ran on to Griezmann pass
and lifted shot over keeper.
1-2. 45. Demidov (own goal). Deflected
Ansotegi clearance back in to own net.
2-2. 47. Kalu Uche. Deflected Weiss
shot past Bravo after corner came back out.
Yellow cards: Raúl Rodríguez 19', Estrada 31', Sergio García 39', Xabi Prieto 56', De la Bella 67', Moreno 86', Bravo 89'.
Espanyol missed out on a chance to return to the European spots after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Real Sociedad. The Catalans found themselves two down with just over a quarter of an hour gone, Carlos Vela cutting in from the right wing to score the first, and then adding a second a couple of minutes later after Zurutuza put him through. Coutinho headed wide and Verdú brought a good save out of Bravo in reply, and Estrada had to clear off the line after the keeper could only block a header from Sergio García. With the first half in injury time Espanyol got one back, Ansotegi's clearance from a Weiss cross only hitting Demidov and bouncing back in to his own net, and a couple of minutes later the locals were level when Kalu Uche deflected a shot from Weiss in to the net following a corner. After that either side could have won it, Vela and Xabi Prieto both firing shots over the bar, Verdú and Raúl Rodríguez both coming up against Bravo, and Sergio García having a penalty appeal turned down when he was felled by the visiting keeper. But in the end both teams had to settle for a point which keeps Pochettino's team a point outside of the top six, and leaves the Basque side still a few points away from safety.