0-1: Insufficient reaction
Espanyol continues without scoring and adds a new defeat
The month of April is not being too positive for Espanyol. The white and blue team added a new day without scoring and ended up falling against Eibar that took advantage of their opportunities. It is true that the team of Quique Sánchez Flores improved after the break and that he had his options to draw, but the team is not having success in the final meters.
Quique Sánchez Flores decided to introduce changes in the line-up to give a little air to the team that must play three games in eight days. Víctor Sánchez, Aarón and Piatti regained the title in an important game for the team after the self-criticism made in recent days. All the parties have agreed that neither the results nor the position in the classification correspond to the illusions generated at the beginning of the season in which they aspired to higher levels. The reality of the team was, as technicians and players have repeated, to finish the season in the best possible way.
A priori, Eibar seemed a favourable rival for the reaction. The Basque side, immersed in a bad run of results and success from face to face, was presented at the RCDE Stadium as a good rival to try to reverse the blue and white dynamic of the last days. However, it was not. The whole of Quique Sánchez Flores saw how the visitants were made with the possession of the ball against Espanyol that did not quite find the formula to create danger. The speed and mobility of Peña and Alejo generated doubts in the blue and white defence that did not seem comfortable at any time. The strategy also showed strong Eibar who gave the first warning with a header from Jordán that crashed at the base of the post. The action, however, was canceled out of play. Eibar dominated the game, while Espanyol did not finish and did not approach with danger to the visiting goal. The scenario of the match was not too favourable and the worst predictions were fulfilled after the half hour of play when Lombán landed a header after a corner from Pedro Leon. It was appealing to the heroic.
The first decision of Sanchez Flowers was to give entrance to Sergio Garci'a in place of Piatti. Espanyol tried to find in the set pieces the formula to tie the game. In one of them, Paulo was very close to scoring in his own goal but Dmitrovic reacted in time. They improved the blue and white that began to have more presence in the visiting field. Gerard, after a cross by Javi López, had a good option for the equalizer but his shot went close to the post. Insisted the local team that in the second time cancelled Eibar. Gerard returned to create danger with an individual play by right wing that ended up clearing Dmitrovic. The Serbian goalkeeper was gaining prominence and avoided the tie of Sergio Garcia with another successful intervention. Eibar paused the game and Espanyol's draw options faded away and the Blue and Whites finished the third straight defeat.