Espanyol: Cristian Alvarez; Javi López,
Colotto, Héctor Moreno, Víctor Alvarez; Víctor
Sánchez, Forlín; Wakaso (Raúl Rodríguez 83'),
Verdú, Rui Fonte (Simao 59'); Stuani (Longo 68'). 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Diego López; Coke, Fazio, Spahic (Manu del
Moral 80'), Fernando Navarro; Rakitic, Kondogbia; Jesús Navas, Perotti
(Rabello 71'), Reyes; Babá Diawara (Negredo 65'). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 13. Verdú (penalty). After Fernando
Navarro pushed Verdú inside area.
1-1. 24. Rakitic (penalty). After
Stuani pulled back Kondogbia in penalty area.
2-1. 60. Simao. Steered
header down past Diego López from Wakaso corner.
2-2. 91. Negredo.
Ran in to head Coke's cross wide of Cristian Alvarez.
Yellow cards: Stuani 22', Reyes 32', 37', Colotto 36', Perotti 38', Víctor Sánchez 44', Fernando Navarro 79', Wakaso 80', Moreno 87', Negredo 89' / red cards: Reyes 37'.
This week's Friday night game ended with a 2-2 draw between Espanyol and Sevilla, a result which left the home side languishing in the bottom three, and the visitors still four points outside of the European spots. Local keeper Cristian Alvarez was busy right from the start saving from Navas and Spahic, but soon afterwards Verdú put the Catalans ahead from the penalty spot after he was pushed over by Fernando Navarro. Referee Muñiz Fernández upset both sides later in the first half, awarding a dubious penalty at the other end which Rakitic converted after Kondogbia fell under a challenge by "the masked man" Christian Stuani, and then sending off Reyes for a ridiculous second yellow card after he took a free kick which the referee claimed he had not allowed to go ahead (even though he had previously blown his whistle to start play). With just under an hour on the clock new coach Javier Aguirre decided to bring on Simao, and within a minute the Portuguese winger restored the lead for the locals with a header from a Wakaso corner. Alvarez had to make a couple of good saves from Rakitic and Manu as Sevilla pushed forward, but just when it looked as if the long suffering fans were about to see their first home win for seven weeks, Negredo popped up to head the equaliser from Coke's cross.