Isak signs the victory of a superior Real that was only able to score in the last breath.
The parakeets suffered a cruel but deserved outcome.
Was a cruel ending, but a deserved punishment. Spanish rowed until the last breath to add to the Reale Arena against a superior rival who only found the way to the goal in a controversial penalty of Calero on Mikel Merino. Isak, the best footballer of the match, certified a victory that infuriated the parakeets, outraged with the classic VAR arbitrariness (1-0).
The appointment in San Sebastian was a exam to gauge the aspirations of a Espanyol with salvation in their pocket, relieved on the pitch but altered in the institutional sphere after the goodbye to José María Duran, the CEO wiped out by Chen Yansheng. Would it look like an ambitious team or a withdrawn block? The test was not easy and the casualties of Diego López and Raúl de Tomás they did not bode well. Without the guardian who has saved so many points this year or the undisputed scorer, the match looked bad. I would have to row a lot.
San Sebastian monologue
Vicente Moreno opted for Loren as an offensive reference, with Sergi Darder from behind in a position too far forward, while Imanol Sheriff placed in the attack on the talented Isaac and the mighty Sorlotha couple that does not usually coincide in the eleven.
“There is nothing, however you look at it. This is not even a penalty”
Vicente Moreno / Coach of Espanyol
The first half was a monologue from the San Sebastian team, which came to rest with a 72% possession and a couple of clear occasions repelled by Oier with some luck: a close shot from Zubimendi that ended in a miracle corner (m. 7) and a shot by Silva (m. 31) that crashed into the goal.
Espanyol barely disturbed Remiro, but claimed a penalty in an action by Le Normand on Loren that bypassed the VAR. The central grabbed the shirt of the striker on loan from Betis and also gave him a touch on the calf that could have been perfectly punished.
disallowed goal
The script did not change too much in the second half with an absolute dominance of Real and a Spanish crouched looking for your chance. The picture could have darkened remarkably for the parakeets with a goal from Sorlothbut this time the VAR did intervene to annul the Norwegian’s goal for previous foul on Cabrera (m. 51).
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Logic invited us to think that Real’s goal would come sooner or later, but the Catalan team held on with order and sacrifice. Nothing can blame the team in that sense, but something else was missing again in attack, a lack that has marked the parakeet performances as a visitor.
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Isak was close to scoring after a great individual play that Cabrera disrupted (m. 65). By then, he had already moved the tree Vincent Moreno with the entrance of Melendo and Vilhena. Rafinha and Nais caressed the goal before the decisive play, that Calero’s penalty on Merino. Jaime Latre hesitated, but he ended up favoring a Royal who found her fair prize. “There is nothing, however you look at it. This is not even a penalty, “roared the parakeet technician.
Royal Society, 1; Spanish, 0
REAL SOCIETY: Remiro (5); Gorosabel (6), Le Normand (6), Zubeldia (5), Diego Rico (7); Portu (5), Zubimendi (7), Rafinha (6), Silva (7); Isaac (8), Sorloth (6). Technician: Imanol Bailiff (6). Changes: Naïs (7) by Portu (m. 61); Mikel Merino (7) for Rafinha (m. 71); Ander Martín (sc) for Silva (m. 88).
SPANISH: Oier (8); Óscar Gil (5), Calero (5), Cabrera (7), Pedrosa (5); Keidi Bare (4), Yangel Herrera (6), Embarba (5), Darder (6), Puado (5); Lauren (5). Coach: Vicente Moreno (5). Changes: Melendo (5) for Bare (m. 57); Vilhena 6 by Embarba (m. 57); Dimata (5) by Loren (m. 74); Aleix Vidal (5) by Óscar Gil (m. 74).
GOALS: 1-0 (m. 95), Isak, from a penalty committed by Calero on Mikel Merino.