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0-3: Bad start
Espanyol sees its good run of results stopped and loses to Sevilla
The team of Quique Sánchez Flores could not start with the right foot the second round of the competition after losing to Sevilla that had the success of scoring in key moments of the game. Espanyol, that had reached four consecutive games without losing in LaLiga, didn’t had many chances against a rival that was very solid in defence and played a very complete match.
Surprised Vincenzo Montella repeating the same line-up that won on Wednesday at Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey match. The Italian, who had not started his stage very well in front of Sevilla, opted for one of the maxims of football: not to touch what works. Sanchez Flores, on the other hand, did move the bench more and recovered several starters and, in addition, gave continuity in the eleven to Diego Lopez and Oscar Melendo.
Both teams came to the game with good feelings three of their Cup results. Obviously, both started the match with the desire to prolong their streaks and get closer to their respective goals in the league. With little came the first actions of danger. Gerard could not connect a centre by Dídac from the left. Sevilla, however, took advantage of their first approach with danger to get ahead on the scoreboard. Vázquez took advantage of a rejection by Diego López, who had previously avoided Correa's goal, to open the scoring. Espanyol tried to react, but only found the way in the strategy plays that did not give the desired result either. The match went through in a complicated area and Sevilla, who was finding more and more spaces, threatened with a good shot by Muriel. Shortly before the break the worst predictions were confirmed and Sarabia, after a good individual play, managed to get the second for his team.
Espanyol had spent their margin of error and in the second half had no choice but to throw the heroic for the comeback. Sanchez Flores gave entrance to two of his important players: Víctor Sánchez and Sergio García, who entered for Melendo and Javi Fuego. The blue and white coach was confident in hitting the key for his team to react. Espanyol could get back into the game with two clear opportunities. First, Baptistao missed a relatively easy goal and sent a good pass from Gerard to the clouds. In the next action was Sergio Garcia who did not hit with a shot with his right leg.
The local impetus was decreasing and Espanyol did not finish having regularity in their game and also did not find any resource to approach with danger to the visiting area. Sevilla slept the game and finished with any choice of perico comeback. The Blue and Whites expected to get closer to the positions of honour and begin to improve the records of the first round, but those of Sanchez Flores could not with a very effective and practical Sevilla. Muriel scored the third one in the last minutes of the match.