New Delhi: Los Che’s hopes of Champions League qualification suffered a minor blow when they were stung by in-form Espanyol at the Montjuic.
First Half
Espanyol went on the attack straight away and after just a minute, Ivan de la Pena threaded in a typical through ball to Raul Tamudo and Cesar had to rush out to smother the ball away with a sliding tackle.
Valencia responded immediately when a one-two between David Silva and Mata allowed the former to skip into the box to the byline but he could only drill his cutback right across the face of Kameni’s goal.
Both sides continued to trade blows from one end to another and the hosts finally had the first shot at goal ten minutes in when Luis Garcia latched onto Nene’s centre but rifled his low drive from outside the box just wide of the right post.
Five minutes later, Ivan Alonso had an identically opportunity when Luis Garcia provided the cutback this time from the right, but the Uruguayan striker smacked his first time shot wide from 10 yards out.
Straight to the other end, Joaquin provided a similar threat when he shimmied past Chica down the right wing and slipped Miguel into the box but the Portuguese full-back’s close range shot only rippled the side netting from a tight angle. David Villa then had his first attempt at goal but his tame effort on the edge of the area was easily saved by Kameni.
The pace of the game dropped off a little and clear-cut chances dried up when the contest entered the half hour mark as neither side wanted to make the mistake that would give their opponents the upper hand.
The next best opportunity didn’t arrive until two minutes before the break when de la Pena arrowed in a gorgeous 40-yard through ball from inside his own half to Tamudo, who laid it off to his striker partner Alonso, who had time and space to shoot, disappointingly blasted his effort high and wide.
Second Half
Both teams continued to create half chances early on in the second period. On 53 minutes, Villa, who only had one shot on target so far, curled in a low freekick from 20 yards out but Kameni managed to tip it out with his fingers at his left post, eventhough it looked as if the ball was always on its way out.
Villa had another glorious look-in four minutes later when Silva cleverly dinked a chip into the box but El Guaje’s header from close range sailed straight to Kameni’s hands.
The Blanc-i-blau’s first decent effort on goal in the half didn’t arrive until the hour mark, when Cesar’s weak punch from a Nene cross fell to Luis Garcia, but the winger’s lob outside the box looped over the bar.
But five minutes after that, the hosts took the lead. Nene again provided the threat from the left when his low cross was bundled out of the box by Maduro but Roman Martinez, who had only been on the pitch three minutes, latched onto the loose ball and unleashed a left-footed piledriver straight into the top right corner of Valencia’s goal.
Espanyol were growing in confidence and moments later, Nene swept in a freekick but Cesar was equal to the task. Los Che, on the other hand, started to look flustered as their passing went astray and they grew more impatient with their tackles.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side then had a double chance on 75 minutes. First, de la Pena charged forward down the middle before rolling a through ball into the box for Luis Garcia, who shot straight at Cesar.
Seconds later, Tamudo had a near-identical opportunity but his effort was also parried away by the Valencia custodian.
But in the 82nd minute, Los Periquitos sealed the game when centre-back Nico Pareja curled in a sumptuous freekick from 25 yards out straight into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper no chance.
The icing on the cake came five minutes into injury time when Nene slotted home a penalty after Rufete had been barged down inside the box.
Espanyol have now picked up four wins on the trot as they inch towards mid-table. Valencia, meanwhile, still cling on to fourth spot but they are now just a solitary point away from Villarreal in fifth.
Teams
Espanyol (4-4-2): Kameni – Sergio Sanchez, Jarque, Pareja, Chica – Luis Garcia, Moises, De La Pena (Rufete, 89’), Nene – Tamudo (Callejon, 81’), Ivan Alonso (Roman, 62’)
Unused subs: Coro, Valdo, Lola, Cristian Alvarez
Valencia (4-2-3-1): Cesar – Miguel, Albiol, Maduro (Morientes, 77’), Alexis – Marchena, Baraja (Vicente, 77’) – Joaquin (Pablo, 71’), Silva, Mata – Villa
Unused subs: Michel, Moretti, Edu, Renan
Espanyol 3-0 Valencia
1-0: Espanyol (Roman, 66’)
2-0: Espanyol (Pareja, 82’)
3-0: Espanyol (Nene, 90+5’)
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