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0-2: Three points in the bag

Two goals from RDT in the second half produce the first away win of the season

Espanyol is quickly realizing that the journey ahead in the Second Division isn't going to be all plain sailing. They know they have a lot of heavy, intense games ahead of them that will be hard-fought thanks to the stilted style of play. We saw this last week against Mallorca, and in Oviedo they were ready with the same strategy. Vicente Moreno had already said that his team would need to match the intensity of the home team in order to open up opportunities for a win. And he couldn't have called it better.

Carlos Tartiere's first 45 minutes offered a warning vision of what lies ahead in many of Espanyol's games this year. 

The game was intense, the kind you have to chew and chew away at because it becomes too much to swallow. The kind that needs that extra work just to get a morsel you can actually enjoy. Oviedo sketched their plan out perfectly on the field of play, going in hard on the tackle and relying on the speed of their forward players to try and get past the Blue and White defence. Viti, Javi Mir, Borja and Obeng all made the most of long runs and Tejera and Edgar tried to stifle any attempt to set up opportunities by Darder and Fran Mérida. An exceptional shot at goal from Darder and a decent header by Wu Lei just after the half-time mark (subsequently marked offside) were the visitors' best opportunities in the first 45 minutes.

The second half kicked off with a charge by Viti, foiled by Diego López, to which Wu Lei responded a few minutes later with a header that hit the post from a cross by Pedrosa.

Espanyol was gaining ground in the attack, and in one foray, Pedrosa took the ball all the way before being knocked down in the penalty area. RDT found the mark with the penalty, opening up a lead that he widened just minutes later after a generous pass by Puado.  Having been highly involved throughout the game, Diego López was on fire in the final stretch. The Galician goalkeeper made two spectacular saves, putting a stop to any opportunity for the 'carballones' to get back into the game. Three more points and a welcome debut by Jofre Carreras and Óscar Gil.