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1-0: The victory of the collective
Gerard decides in a very serious game of the blue and white team
Work, work and work. Espanyol completed a very serious game against R. Betis to take the three points. A goal by Gerard in the second half unbalanced a game where R. Betis had the ball, but Espanyol was more incisive. The team of Quique Sánchez Flores executed to perfection the script designed to add a vital triumph.
At the RCDE Stadium met two teams with opposite models, but equally valid to achieve the three points. R. Betis showed, from the beginning, that he wanted to play building from behind. Espanyol, that does not feel uncomfortable without a ball, was willing to cover the pass lines of the visitors with the consequent physical strain due to the high pressure. Despite the quality of the visitant players, the locals managed to put their rival in more than a hurry.
The clash of styles led to an entertaining match. Mario Hermoso was the most incisive. First he tried with a header that caught Adan without a problem and, later, was about to score one of the goals of LaLiga, but the green-and-white goalkeeper took a prodigious hand. Gerard closed the three opportunities pericas with a good header that, again, Adam prevented him from becoming a goal. R. Betis had the ball, but without creating excessive danger except in a distant shot Fabian who crashed into the wood.
Espanyol came out very focused after the break with clear ideas and executing the plan that Quique Sánchez Flores seemed to have in mind. R. Betis also did not change his approach a bit and, in a good combined action, put Pau to the test with a distant shot from Barragán. Espanyol responded quickly and, in one of the best plays of the game, managed to get ahead on the scoreboard. Building from behind, the ball ended at the feet of Piatti who put a golden ball to Gerard.
Quique Setién quickly moved the bench to reinforce his attack, like Quique Sánchez Flores who gave entrance to Sergio García. It could seem that the visiting domain was going to grow gradually, but it was Espanyol that found the best opportunities as in a distant shot from David López that was lost out by very little and in another shot of Jurado that did not find a goal with everything in favor .
The final minutes were a huge emotion. Betis looked for the goal of the tie, but found a providential Pau that avoided the equalizer goal in a shot by Sergio León. Good collective work of the whole team and three very important points to continue climbing positions.