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2-1: Strategy decides
Espanyol got ahead in the scoreboard but two strategy actions finished with their options
Everybody presumed a match of high tension, many nerves in the field and in the stands. It was a match of heads or tails for Levante. And of the absolute tranquillity for Espanyol. Everyone said so during the week. The match of reaction or surrender for the home team. Of course, at this point there are still many battles in the league, above, below, in the middle, for those who aspire for further aims, for those who want to consolidate their position... There is so much and yet so little that who more or less has already began with the calculator. And the numbers. And the accounts.
Espanyol knew was playing slow the initial spurt of premises, but also aimed seize the slightest chance they had. And there came Hernán Pérez, along a corridor between the central defenders, after a millimetric assistance of Victor Sanchez. The Paraguayan, in the hand to hand against Marino, had only to deceive his body to overtake Espanyol when they took only six minutes. There was an eternity and Levante was not going to give up in advance.
The home team, without alarming Pau, yes seeking Deyverson speed and Rosi's talent to approach Espanyol’s goal. Pau did not work, all died between the legs of their defences. In a side missing, however Rosi threw the ball in the box and slipped of Pau’s hand. The Italian thus added his fifth goal since he arrived in January.
The local goal encouraged the stands and reassured the Levante players who began to move the ball more calmly and glancing at the clock. Espanyol, however, still looking for Caicedo as reference in attack and the Ecuadorian finished with a shot that overpassed the bar off a good cross from Asensio. The match was opened and it was just a matter of who maintaining the coolest head and the hottest blood.
Víctor Sánchez and Hernán repeated the same action as in the first half, but this time Mariño saved with his legs shot from the Paraguayan. Rubi understood that he could not wait any longer and took more gunpowder for the attack: Cuero by Pedro López. Half an hour and was still tension, nerves and uncertainty. Cuero precisely accelerated the match in each action and in one of those in a doubtful foul, he served Medjani for almost carom, beat Pau. 2-1 was served. There was still plenty of time left and a new match was ahead. A match that was filled with interruptions, continued and card fouls (with the referee’s welcome) and only benefited, as expected, by the leading team.