Espanyol does more than just dream about Europe

BarcelonaA header from Kike García five minutes in gave Espanyol a 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo, securing three crucial points and strengthening their position in the European qualification places. The Catalan side, perhaps with a touch of luck, but above all with remarkable resilience, capped off a fantastic week that began with a win against Sevilla and ended with a victory in Vigo that, while perhaps not brilliant, was certainly effective. Manolo González made changes to the starting eleven, leaving Edu Expósito on the bench and opting for Pol Lozano, who had been a substitute in the previous match. Expósito ultimately came on for the final minutes, which proved to be Espanyol's best spell of the game, as Celta Vigo began to tire and crumble. It was then that Espanyol truly began to believe they could win a match that, for much of the game, had seemed very difficult to win. Espanyol now has 24 points. The majority – 16 – have been earned at the RCDE Stadium. Away from home, however, the team has struggled more. But the visit to Vigo could be a good opportunity to pick up points, as Celta had yet to win a match at their stadium. In fact, the Blanquiazules started the match very well, with attacking intent, although without creating clear-cut scoring chances. This initial burst of energy, however, faded around the midpoint of the first half. The visitors stopped venturing into the opposition's area and easily lost possession, resorting to too much direct play. Celta, on the other hand, grew into the game, breaking lines and moving the ball quickly. Espanyol's defenders had no choice but to increase their physicality to disrupt the play. Isidro Díaz de Mera's decision to raise the bar and not show a single card until well into the second half proved a boon for Espanyol. Even without clear-cut scoring opportunities, the game took a turn in the 25th minute. Borja Iglesias went down in the box and appealed for a penalty. VAR reviewed the play because there had been contact from Calero, but a marginal offside before the contact saved Espanyol. A few minutes later, Bryan Zaragoza sent a low, driven shot across goal that went just wide of the post, the clearest chance of the first half. Manolo González welcomed the break. The second half began in a similar fashion, with Celta attacking and Espanyol without possession. The home side had a few chances, although none particularly clear-cut, all dealt with comfortably by Dmitrovic, who looked solid and confident in goal. In attack, Espanyol didn't trouble the Galician goal until Urko, taking advantage of a poor defensive clearance, tried to surprise with a volley off the bounce, which went just wide.

Espanyol, improving as the game progressed, ended up dominating at Balaídos

Under normal circumstances, Celta would have ended up scoring a goal. Or at least, had clearer chances. But the same thing happened to the Galicians that has been happening to them all season: the matches dragged on. Giráldez's substitutions didn't help the team much, and they began to fall apart when Beltrán, Borja Iglesias, and Iago Aspas were substituted. At that point, Espanyol regained possession and strung together long spells of play in the opposition's half. Perhaps they didn't create many chances, but at least they weren't troubled at the back. They spent many minutes chasing the ball, and it seemed that a draw would satisfy Espanyol. Until a corner arrived, which Edu Expósito crossed to the near post and Kike García flicked on. Radu misjudged the rebound, and the ball ended up crossing the goal line. A goal in the 86th minute confirms two things: that the team's season has been excellent and, most importantly, that they don't give up until the final whistle.