2024-08-31 19:22:43
BarcelonaEspanyol returned with a goal and with a victory in the Primera thanks to the perseverance of an Argentine who found a gift after 96 minutes of fighting in the mud. A goal by Alejo Veliz in extra time will serve to come back and sign a tough victory, the first of the season (2-1), against a Rayo Vallecano that was close to winning at the RCDE stadium. The last victory in the Primera was against the Madrid team (May 21, 2023) and it was against them that he got his first victory this year.
The game could not have started worse for the white-and-blues, who scored the first goal before the 4th minute. Álvaro García received a pass taken from Embarba who is a former Spanish footballer and beat a Joan Garcia who managed to shoot the ball with his body, but it was not enough to avoid 0-1. The young Catalan, who was praised by a crowd that knew his advance was the best signing of this summer, could not do so. And some new ones are starting to reveal some exciting details.
One of them, Romero, broke the goal drought of the beginning of this season for the white-and-blues, going 277 minutes without scoring. The youngster on loan from Villarreal dispossessed Lejeune with good control and settled inside the area. An equalizer four minutes later prevented the tension from spreading on the pitch, still holding the hope of seeing Espanyol triumph in the Primera again. To find the last one recorded at the RCDE stadium, in fact, you have to go back to April 30, 2023, a 1-0 against Getafe.
Romero scores a tie and avoids defeat
Romero also showed great flexibility, playing inside in the first half, ahead of Brian Oliván, and in the second half as a winger. The one from Torrent not only provides justice with the ball, inside and outside, but also an important part of the activation body in attack and defense, capable of both scoring goals and preventing them: in the second half, playing as a winger, he saved a shot. from Álvaro García from inside the area who had every chance to make it 1-2.
He was not the only one who stood against Rayo. Král also makes it clear that he is a midfielder in the field, where he can recover balls, drag the team into the opponent’s field or make changes of orientation with great judgment. In hindsight, Kumbulla showed that he seemed to have forgotten the two years of injury and he returned to the quick, cutting edge that led Roma to pay close to 30 million. Yesterday, he was effective in Rayo’s fast and mobile opponents. He also came close to taking a penalty for taking Embarba’s coat when he was alone in front of Joan, but the referee didn’t count it as a penalty.
These players are three pieces that increase in the combined eleven that is also open to the entry of some five new faces this summer. Espanyol, which works hard to find new starters in the market that will increase the team’s level, needs them. Also, a Manolo González who will have time during this delay for selections to integrate new additions. Only two will be missing, Král and Kumbulla, invited with the Czech Republic and Albania, respectively.
The situation in which the coach will be able to make more tests will be up: Cheddira is about to hunt a shot from Král who roams the small area. He and Ünüvar wanted to change an attack that missed Braithwaite’s goals. Against Rayo, Veliz once again had an afternoon more representative of a water polo buoy than a soccer player, with more fights than shots. This time he had to fight with one of the strongest central defenders in the league, a Lejeune who not only won a good part of the aerial duels, but created more danger in the attack than him: first with a free kick long and then with a crossbar missile. Manolo González showed confidence in Veliz by keeping him on the grass until the end. And the Argentine, after 96 minutes of black work, rewarded him by scoring the winning goal in extra time and installing the turbo. Manoleta on your trip to Primera.
- Science sheet of the match
- Spanish: Joan Garcia; Omar, Kumbulla, Calero (Sergi Gómez, 91′), Brian Oliván (Cardona, 46′); Jofre (Tejero, 65′), Král, Gragera (Aguado, 46′), Romero, Puado (Cheddira, 70′) and Veliz. Coach: Manolo González
- Rayo Vallecano: Cárdenas; Andrei, Mumin, Lejeune, Pacha Espino (Pep Chavarría, 35′); De Frutos (Isi, 62′), Óscar Valentín, Unai López (Nteka, 72′), Álvaro García (Ciss, 72′); Camel (Balliu, 62′) and Embarba. Coach: Iñigo Pérez
- Goals: 0-1 Álvaro García (4′), 1-1 Romero (8′), 2-1 Veliz (97′)
- Judge: Cordero Vega (Cantabrian council)
- Grogues goals: Kumbulla (81′), Aguado (85′), Moomin (94′)
- Red cards: None
- Stadium: Front Stage Stadium, 22,405 spectators
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