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0-2: Out of the Cup
Two mistakes end Espanyol's options against an efficient Osasuna
Espanyol said goodbye to the Copa del Rey after losing to Osasuna. The Blue and Whites paid dearly for their two mistakes which led to the visitors' goals; goals which ended up being impossible for the Espanyol team to overcome. In the second half, Vicente Moreno tried to give his team more bite in attack, but there was no way they could unsettle the Navarrese team.
Espanyol had faced the final 16 round of the Copa del Rey with great enthusiasm. The Blue and White coach chose a starting line-up which featured quite a few headline names to face Jagoba Arrasate's team, who are going through a bad patch in their season. The Blue and Whites, top of the Second Division, hoped to put on a good show against Osasuna, who are currently bottom of the First Division. Vicente Moreno's team hoped to rise to the occasion, but unfortunately, the reality was quite different.
Their initial hopes were soon dashed. Javi Martínez stole a ball from David López in the centre and quickly found himself in front of the local goal. After dodging the Blue and White captain again, he got the better of Oier with a very accurate shot. Espanyol had quite a few problems in the flow of the game and only had a couple of opportunities in the strategy plays. David López made an attempt with a header on a loose ball but goalkeeper Juan Pérez caught it. Cabrera also tried from a corner but it was an unconvincing attempt. Some set piece action made it seem like a draw could be possible, but in the end, everything was turned on its head. The visitors scored their second goal from a strategy play. Roncaglia won the ball and passed it through for Kike Barja to score at his leisure.
Vicente Moreno made a triple change at the beginning of the second half, bringing on RDT, Embarba and Sergi Darder in an attempt at a comeback against their rivals who never took the pressure off. Enric Gallego had a chance for a third with a header inside the area and Budimir also had an opportunity, although he ended up offside. Espanyol still could not find the formula they needed to threaten their opposition and the visitors looked very comfortable in defence. The Blue and Whites kept trying until the end, but they were unsuccessful in creating much danger. Vicente Moreno's team now say goodbye to the Copa del Rey and will turn their focus solely to their return to the First Division.