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1-3: Gutsy reaction

Espanyol overcome Cartagena’s initial goal by scoring three in 10 minutes to grab three points

Week after week, Espanyol continue to see that this year they will have to grit their teeth and tackle tough games in an absolutely competitive and complex Second Division. Nor will they be able to forget that the matches go all the way until the end, and that only in this way, with character and belief in comebacks, will they continue to grab points.  

Cartagena, which were promoted this year, have a team with a good number of former first division players, the enthusiasm of newcomers and the desire to consolidate a sporting project that has just got underway, albeit with ups and downs. Therefore, they played an intense game, rough at times, and full of energy to counter the Blue and White possession. They sought to take advantage of any Blue and White hesitation, as their coach said throughout the week. They went ahead and tried to control the game as much as possible. 

On this occasion, there were two very different halves. In the first half, Espanyol’s attempts died out before the crowded home defence. Neither Darder, nor Cabrera, nor Wu Lei after a magnificent counter-attack hit the home net. Neither could Embarba at the half-hour mark. 

With the game frozen, Carrasquilla touched the ball with his hand inside the area. It was very clear. But the referee ignored it and the VAR pointed out that there was an involuntary rebound. Rubén Castro, on the next play, shot close to Diego López’s post, in the best home spell of play in the first half. 

After the break, another game started. And it started with another moment that should have been reviewed. Elady finished off a scrambled action, which seemed like a clear offside, after a series of rebounds inside the area and the ball crossing the goal line.  

The 1-0 gave life to Cartagena that, from that moment, settled around their box, defending the advantage and leaving Rubén Castro and Gallar to fight with the blue and white central defenders.  

Embarba, on a direct free kick, slammed the ball off the crossbar and shortly afterwards a header from RDT came off Bulka’s post. It was the prelude to the reaction that would follow. 10 minutes to score three goals and still enough time to crash another ball on the crossbar. 

Nico Melamed equalized after an action that David López had begun, which Embarba continued and the young forward got unmarked like in Sabadell to equalize a game that began to turn blue and white. Shortly afterwards Nico Melamed fell inside the box. Clear penalty. No complaints. RDT calmly slotted the ball in to make it 1-2 for Espanyol. There was still more. The team kept fighting and looking for the Cartagena goal with all the energy in the world and Puado scored the third after recovering the ball in defence and a run of more than 60 meters until facing Bulka’s exit. He still had the strength for a new gallop with a kick that ended up crashing against the crossbar. The reaction was complete and the three points were a fair reward for to the effort and belief shown by the team.