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First Division - Day 32

Sevilla 4 - Espanyol 1

Sevilla: Beto; Diogo Figueiras, Nico Pareja, Fazio, Alberto Moreno; Trochowski (Marin 73’), Iborra, M’Bia, Vitolo (Jairo 83’); Bacca (Rakitic 61’), Gameiro. 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Germán; Javi López, Raúl Rodríguez, Sidnei, Fuentes; David López, Abraham (Alex Fernández 46’); Stuani, Pizzi (Lanzarote 73’), Simao (Córdoba 58’), Sergio García. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 18. M’Bia. Ran in from behind to head Trochowski corner past Germán.
2-0. 44. Gameiro. Controlled Vitolo centre and turned shot inside far post.
2-1. 47. Sergio García (penalty). After Fazio pushed down Stuani inside area.
3-1. 84. Gameiro. Picked up Marin return pass and struck shot across keeper.
4-1. 89. Rakitic. Collected Pareja clearance and fired angled shot past Germán.

Yellow cards: David López 39’, Fazio 46’, M’Bia 50’, Diogo Figueiras 59’.

Fifth placed Sevilla closed to within three points of Athletic pending their game on Monday after beating Espanyol 4-1 on Sunday evening. Keeper Germán Parreño was making his Liga debut for the visitors in place of the suspended Casilla, and although he made a good save from Trochowski early on, he could no nothing to stop M’Bia getting free of his markers to head the midfielder’s corner in to the net to open the scoring.in the eighteenth minute Sergio García felt he should have had a penalty a few minutes later, and although the referee only gave a free kick outside of the area, Simao almost equalized when his low kick went under the defensive wall and on to the post. With half time coming up Gameiro scored Sevilla’s second after controlling Vitolo’s cross, but just a couple of minutes after the restart the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul by Fazio on Stuani, and Sergio García stepped up to beat Beto. In the end however the Andalusians wrapped things up with two late goals, Gameiro making it three after picking up Marin’s return pass, and Rakitic controlling a long ball from Pareja before firing an angled shot past Germán. A much needed win for Emery’s side after their midweek defeat in the Europa League, and Espanyol drop out of the running for the European spots after falling nine points adrift of seventh placed Villarreal.