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3-2: Defeat on the road

RCD Espanyol B are edged out by Valencia Mestalla in Javi Chica's debut

RCD Espanyol B fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat away to Valencia Mestalla on Sunday.

After a week of many changes, Javi Chica made his debut on the Espanyol B bench as head coach, starting with an always enticing all-academy encounter with Valencia’s reserve team. It was the hosts who started out stronger and would strike first after half an hour from a corner.

In the second half, Espanyol came out strong to get back into it. They equalised seven minutes after the restart through Ian Forns, whose shot deflected off a defender and made its way into the back of the net.

It was an even encounter and looked to continue like that for the remainder of the game, but Valencia retook the lead and then extended it just four minutes later, a brace from Diego Aznar stunning the young pericos and shifting the momentum into the hosts’ favour.

Espanyol did not give up and Kenneth managed to reduce the deficit in the closing stages, with just a goal in it and with eight minutes of stoppage time. There was no shortage of chances, but Valencia kept it tight towards the end and saw out the result, condemning Chica’s boys to a narrow away defeat in his first game at the helm.