A flying knight rescues Espanyol at Mestalla

BarcelonaEspanyol took another step toward continuing their history in the First Division. The Blue and Whites scraped a 1-1 draw at Mestalla in a match in which they took the lead, but which became more difficult for them in the second half. The home side's response demanded the best performance from the Espanyol defense, but also some worthy saves from Joan Garcia, who is making a great showing in every game his team plays. Another unbeaten matchday for Espanyol, who will sleep eight points above the relegation zone.

Mestalla tested the ambition of two teams that came into the first leg of the match considerably less in need than they had in the first leg due to the cushion of points they have accumulated over the relegation zone. Valencia took the initiative, but Espanyol, who have been learning to read games for months, had the clearest chances. Expósito, with a shot that hit the post, confirmed the good form he is enjoying after overcoming his serious knee injury.

The Cubelles native, who has been becoming an undisputed fixture in Manolo González's starting eleven for weeks, once again brought clarity and continuity to the midfield. His influence has been instrumental in explaining Espanyol's improved play in recent weeks. However, his involvement wasn't limited to the midfield: shortly before halftime, he set up a free kick that Puado, at the near post, deflected into the back of the net. It was the Barcelona native's eleventh goal in this La Liga season, which continues to decide about its futureAny chance Espanyol has of keeping him depends on staying in the First Division. Espanyol's improvement on the road in this second half of the season can be explained by one statistic: they've taken the lead in six of their last seven away games.

Valencia, who had tentatively warned Espanyol's goal in the first half with well-defended shots from Joan Garcia, stepped up their game after the break to finally find the equalizer. Javi Guerra managed to do so, running inside the box and finishing with a cross that punished one of Cabrera's few errors of the entire match. With the score tied at 1-1, Manolo González decided not to be conservative and added fuel to the fire: he brought on Roca and Pere Milla to provide fresh legs on the flanks, where Valencia's wide men were suffering.

The home side pressed hard in the final stretch, with Joan Garcia dressing up as a Saint George's Knight to rescue the team when it was struggling. As if he had superpowers, he stretched to the point of almost flying to deflect a dangerous header from Gayà with a sensational save. Just as Mestalla was already celebrating the goal, the player from Sallent appeared to secure a point that brings them closer to the goal.