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0-0: Honours even

RCD Espanyol and CD Leganés take a point apiece in the promotion fight

RCD Espanyol played out a 0-0 draw away to CD Leganés on Friday night.

The Mágico, sitting in second place at the start of matchday 35, travelled to Madrid in a crucial clash with the only team ahead of them in the table. Leganés began intensely and piled on the pressure, while at the other end a loose ball was worked into Martin Braithwaite whose shot dragged just wide of the target.

It only settled down for a bit before the game once again burst into life when Nico Melamed was brought down in the box by goalkeeper Diego Conde. A penalty was initially awarded, but after a VAR check, referee Daniel Jesús Trujillo Suárez reverted his decision to the dismay of the visitors and left it goalless at half-time.

The second half continued with both sides really pushing for the opening goal, and both keepers having to be at their best to prevent conceding any goals. Jofre Carreras and Nico Melamed both had golden chances at the near post, but both could not keep their shots down and fired it over and wide of the target.

For its intensity, the game was stunted by fouls and heightened tempers on both sides, which included coach Manolo González being sent off. Espanyol could not find a way through in the end, coming away from the capital with a clean sheet and a hard-fought point in the hunt for promotion back to the top flight.