Barcelona (AP) - Some injury news came out after the game on Sunday. Sergi Darder, who left Sunday's match after the 4th minute with a foot injury has been ruled out for up to two months with a broken toe. He got caught in a scramble in front of the Espanyol goal and got stepped on. It looks like youngster Alex Lopez may get to fill his role in the midfield.
Oscar Melendo was approached by Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and the club announced that they were willing to pay the release clause in his contract of $13M to Espanyol. Manager Raul Tamudo met with Melendo Sunday evening and the sides worked out a four-year contract extension for the 22-year-old Spaniard to remain at Espanyol. It is believed that he did get a slight bump in salary and his role at the club has been revised to satisfy both him and his agent.
Raul Tamudo was named the August La Liga Manger of the Month. He led Espanyol to a victory in their Europa League Qualification tie with Cork City, sending Espanyol into the Group Stage. The team went (0-1-1) in league play, losing at home to Sevilla and defeating Rayo Vallecano on the road.
The team will now have off for two weeks for the International Break. The only player leaving for duty is Irish striker Sean Maguire. Maguire's agent recently told the club that his client has been unhappy with his client's playing time and if things do not change, he may ask for a transfer during the January window.
Jeremie Boga celebrates his first goal as a member of RCD Espanyol.
SCORING:
45' - (ESP) - J. Boga
54' - (EIB) - S. Enrich
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
9/14/19
Eibar, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol's struggles in La Liga continued on Saturday evening in Eibar as they drew 1-1 with SD Eibar at Ipurua. A defensive match with very few good scoring opportunities frustrated Espanyol and some people are pointing at Raul Tamudo's decision to get rid of proven talent that has Espanyol struggling early on.
This game seemed to be played mostly in the midfield between the boxes for most of the first half. Oscar Melendo had Espanyol's best scoring opportunity in the 28th minute as he managed to get in alone on Marko Dmitrovic, but Dmitrovic was able to somehow stop him to keep the match scoreless.
Defender Ludwig Augustinsson gave Eibar a great chance to take the lead in the 39th minute, coming up from his left back position to crack one from just inside the Espanyol box, but Edu Frias got a hand on it to knock it wide.
As the half was drawing to a close, Estaban Ponce dribbled into the Eibar box and towards the end line, he turned and tried to center the ball, but defender Paulo got in the way and panicking, tried to clear it. It went straight to Jeremie Boga, who hit a laser into the lower right corner to give Espanyol the lead.
It wouldn't stay that way for long. Early in the second half Daniel Royer took the ball down the left flank for Eibar. He passed it pass to Sergi Enrich trailing the play. He one-timed it from just inside the box past a diving Edu Frias to tie the match at 1-1 in the 54th minute.
Espanyol had a couple of great chances to retake the lead but failed. Sean Maguire split the Eibar defense and was in all alone in the 59th minute, but his left footed shot went just wide of the post. Then in the 68th minute, Jeremie Boga seared one just over the crossbar.
Final shots ended up 8-7 in favor of Espanyol, but the shots on target were 5-3 in favor of Eibar. Marc Roca earned Man of the Match honors for Espanyol (1-2-1, 5 pts) who sit in 13th place after four match days. SD Eibar (1-1-2, 4 pts) are in 14th place.
Up next for Espanyol is a trip to Belgium on Thursday for the opening of Europa League group play at Club Brugge. They return to La Liga action next Sunday at home as they will host Valencia CF.
La Liga Match Day 4 Results:
Athletic Bilbao 1:1 Celta Vigo
Valencia CF 1:2 Atletico Madrid
UD Las Palmas 2:1 FC Barcelona
Rayo Vallecano 2:2 Villarreal CF
Real Madrid 3:0 Girona
Alaves 1:1 Real Sociedad
Real Sporting 1:2 RC Deportivo
Sevilla 1:2 Real Betis
Real Valladolid 1:2 Getafe
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 1 Results:
Dortmund 2:2 Olympique Lyon
RSC Anderlecht 1:0 FC Barcelona
CSKA Moscow 1:1 Manchester City
SL Benfica 1:2 Schalke
Sporting CP 2:0 Torino
PAOK 0:2 Tottenham Hotspur
Spartak Moscow 0:2 Bayern Munchen
Inter Milan 2:1 Ajax
Shakhtar Donetsk 2:3 Real Madrid
PSG 2:0 Leverkusen
Galatasaray 1:2 Manchester United 2
Napoli 2:0 Real Betis
FC Kobenhavn 1:2 Juventus
Liverpool 5:1 Lokomotiv Moscow
Dinamo Zagreb 0:1 Atletico Madrid
AS Monaco 2:0 FC Porto
CLUB BRUGGE 2:3 RCD ESPANYOL Jan Breydel Stadium (Capacity: 29,062)
Oscar Melendo comes through in injury time with the match winner.
SCORING:
38' - (CLB) - F. Acheampong
52' - (CLB) - H. Vanaken
56' - (ESP) - J. Boga
70' - (ESP) - S. Maguire
90'+ - (ESP) - O. Melendo
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
9/19/19
Bruges, BEL (AP) - RCD Espanyol scored three second half goals to erase a two goal deficit to stun Club Brugge 3-2 on Thursday evening at Jan Breydel Stadium on the opening day of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League group play.
Club Brugge pressed from the start and played a game that Espanyol usually does not see. Brugge held a possession advantage in this one and pressed Espanyol into early mistakes. They outshot Espanyol 8-0 over the first 25 minutes and had two great chances to take the lead. Frank Acheampong was in alone on Edu Frias in the 8th minute, but Frias deflected his shot just wide. Theo Hernandez then cleared a ball off the line in the 15th minute off of a header from Hans Vanaken to keep the match scoreless.
Espanyol would finally get their first shot in the 29th minute as Carles Alena sent Emmanuel Boateng in alone on Karlo Letica, but he forced Boateng to send the ball just wide.
Club Brugge broke through in the 38th minute as Frank Acheampong got behind the Espanyol defense on a counter attack and perfect long ball from Kaveh Rezaei, He slipped the ball past Edu Frias to put Club Brugge up 1-nil. Acheampong was making his Club Brugge debut after transferring from Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA on August 31st.
Espanyol had a couple of great chances late in the half to level it. Alena sent in Boateng again but he missed just wide. Alena then intercepted a ball at the top of the Brugge box, but his shot sailed just wide, left of the post.
Club Brugge would add to their lead just after the half as Hans Vanaken headed home a corner to make it 2-nil. It looked as though Brugge would be on their way to an impressive win on a rainy night in Bruges. But it was not to be.
Espanyol finally unlocked the Brugge defense just minutes later, as Carles Alena sent a long ball into Jeremie Boga. Boga sent a left footer into the far side netting to get Espanyol on the scoreboard. In the 70th minute, substitute Sean Maguire took a pass from Alena and split the Brugge defense, then chipped it over Karlo Letica to level the match and silence the crowd.
Club Brugge would have a couple of great chances to retake the lead. Frank Acheampong missed from nine yards out in the 80th minute, and after Edu Frias made a stop on Maxi Urruti, the rebound went straight to Stefano Denswil, but his volley sailed just over the bar.
Then in injury time, Oscar Melendo dribbled into the Brugge box, lost the ball, then stole it back. He dribbled twice then fired a left footed shot that deflected off of defender Stefano Denswil and got past keeper Karlo Letica to put Espanyol in front.
The improbable goal sent Espanyol to a huge opening match victory and to the top of the Group A table. Club Brugge outshot Espanyol 19-13 and held a possession advantage, the first game that Espanyol did not hold a possession advantage this season.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday as they will host Valencia CF at RCDE Stadium.
Europa League Group Stage Match Day 1:
Malmo FF 1:0 Besiktas
Lech Poznan 1:1 TSG Hoffenheim
KAA Gent 2:2 Viktoria Plzen
AS Saint-Etienne 1:1 Arsenal
Hertha Berlin 1:1 FC Basel
Brondy IF 0:2 AC Milan
V. Guimaraes 1:2 Nottingham Forest
Legia Warszawa 0:1 RB Leipzig
KRC Genk 1:0 Panathinaikos
IF Elfsborg 1:1 Olympique Marsaille
Dynamo Kyiv 1:0 Basaksehir
FC Zurich 0:2 Villarreal CF
AZ 1:0 SK Rapid Wien
Santa Clara 2:1 Lazio
PSV 1:0 Rosenborg BK
MKE Ankaragucu 0:2 Chelsea
RB Salzburg 1:1 Celtic
AIK 0:2 SC Braga
Standard Liege 2:0 BSC Young Boys
Sparta Praha 1:0 Roma
Feyenoord 1:1 Rangers
De Graafschap 2:2 Valencia CF
Fenerbahce 3:0 Slavia Praha
Emmanuel Boateng scored the lone goal in a big Espanyol victory.
SCORING:
38' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
17' - (ESP) - Marc Roca (Yellow)
88' - (ESP) - E. Boateng (Yellow)
9/22/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol picked up a huge win on Sunday afternoon, defeating Valencia CF 1-nil at RCDE Stadium to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches across all competitions. Emmanuel Boateng was in the right place at the right time as he put away a rebound in the 38th minute for the lone marker.
Youngster Mario Diaz got the start on the right side today and he was very good. He had an excellent chance in the second minute that Norberto Neto just got a hand on. He then was unmarked near the penalty spot in the 31st minute, but his one-timer sailed just wide of the left post.
Emmanuel Boateng would get Espanyol on the board in the 38th minute. Alex Lopez dribbled into the box and took a right footed shot that Neto saved, but the ball deflected right to Boateng at the top of the six. He calmly put it in the back of the net to give Espanyol the lead.
Valencia CF would outshoot Espanyol in the opening half 6-3, but never really challenged Edu Frias.
Emmanuel Boateng had a couple of nice chances in the second half, but could not add to his goal total. He missed just wide in the 56th minute, then got denied by Neto in the 74th minute.
Valencia CF would not go down quietly though. Geoffrey Kondogbia hit a rocket from 27 yards out in the 81st minute that curled just wide of the left post. Goncalo Guedes should have tied it in injury time. Timothy Fosu-Mensah tried clearing a ball from the box, but his header went right to Guedes. Edu Frias somehow got a hand on the volley to deflect it over the bar to keep Espanyol ahead. On the ensuing corner, Kondogbia ripped a rocket from just outside the box that hit the corner of the crossbar and post and deflected away as the final whistle blew.
The win was manager Raul Tamudo's first over Valencia and moved Espanyol up into ninth place in La Liga (2-2-1, 8 pts) after five match days. Valencia CF fell to (2-0-3, 6 pts) and sits in 14th place.
Espanyol will have no time to celebrate this victory as they play on Tuesday in Madrid against second place Real Madrid (3-2-0, 11 pts). The Periquitos won last year in Madrid, 2-1.
La Liga Match Day 5 Results:
Real Betis 1:0 Rayo Vallecano
Real Sociedad 1:2 SD Eibar
Girona 2:2 Real Valladolid
Atletico Madrid 0:0 Real Madrid
FC Barcelona 1:0 Real Sporting
RC Deportivo 2:2 Sevilla
Getafe 1:0 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal CF 2:2 Alaves
Celta Vigo 2:0 UD Las Palmas
REAL MADRID 1:2 RCD ESPANYOL Santiago Bernabeu (Capacity: 81,044)
Carles Alena cracks home the match winner.
SCORING:
31' - (RMA) - L. Vasquez
48' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
60' - (ESP) - C. Alena
DISCIPLINE:
56' - (RMA) - A. Odriozola (Yellow)
9/24/19
Madrid, ESP (AP) - Espanyol has done it again. On Sunday afternoon, Espanyol went into Santiago Bernabeu for the second straight season, and came out with a stunning 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. This time, Espanyol rallied from a one goal halftime deficit to win and extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches.
Real Madrid, sitting in second place in La Liga, struck first in the 31st minute. Lucas Vasquez got his head on a cross from Vinicius Junior and placed it just inside the near post to give Real Madrid the lead.
Espanyol's best chance in the opening half was a Jeremie Boca chance in the 39th minute. He got behind the Madrid defense, but sailed his shot just over the bar. Madrid held a possession advantage and outshot Espanyol 6-3 in the opening half.
Shortly after halftime, Espanyol would strike back and it stunned the home crowd. Carles Alena found Alex Lopez at the top of the box. Lopez dribbled once and struck a right footed rocket into the top right corner to level the match. It was Lopez's second La Liga goal and fourth in all competitions this season.
In the 57th minute, former Real Madrid player Theo Hernandez charged up the left flank and was tackled from behind as he got into the box, by Alvaro Odriozola. Odriozola received a yellow card and Espanyol was awarded a penalty. Carles Alena stepped up, but Thibaut Courtois guessed right and stopped Alena's try to keep the match level. It was the third time that Alena has failed on a penalty this season in all competitions.
Carles Alena would make up for it moments later. In the 60th minute Marc Roca sent a long through ball that Alena ran onto. He dribbled into the box and hit a left footer howitzer past a helpless Courtois to put Espanyol shockingly ahead.
From that point forward, Espanyol would hold the lead and kept their shape defensively, limiting any good scoring chances by Real Madrid.
Espanyol, with the victory, improved to (3-2-1, 11 pts) and is tied with Real Madrid in second place in the La Liga table. Up next is their third match this week as they return home to take on Real Valladolid (1-4-1, 7 pts) on Saturday. The club then hosts Malmo FF next Thursday in Match Day 2 of UEFA Europa League group play.
La Liga Match Day 6 Results:
Real Valladolid 2:1 Atletico Madrid
Valencia CF 2:0 Real Sociedad
Sevilla 1:1 FC Barcelona
Getafe CF 1:1 Celta Vigo
SD Eibar 1:0 Villarreal CF
Alaves 1:2 Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano 0:2 RC Deportico
Real Sporting 2:0 UD Las Palmas
Athletic Bilbao 2:1 Girona
RCD ESPANYOL 3:2 REAL VALLADOLID RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Sean Maguire scored his first La Liga goal on the campaign.
SCORING:
11' - (ESP) - C. Alena
21' - (VLL) - O. Plano
51' - (ESP) - S. Maguire
74' - (VLL) - G. Tucudean
90'+ - (ESP) - M. Roca
DISCIPLINE:
63' - (VLL) - M. Ward (Yellow)
9/28/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol ran their unbeaten streak to nine matches on Saturday evening as Marc Roca scored late to send Espanyol to a 3-2 victory over feisty Real Valladolid at RCDE Stadium.
Carles Alena got things started early on as he cracked one into the top corner just 11 minutes into the match, after a great pass from Marc Roca. Real Valladolid would equalize ten minutes later when Oscar Plano beat Edu Frias near the top of the box and slipped the ball past him.
Espanyol had a couple of additional scoring chances in the half as Sean Maguire rolled one just wide in the 23rd minute and Marc Roca got setup perfectly from Sean Maguire in the 34th minute, but his shot got deflected just over the bar.
Edu Frias absolutely robbed Mohamed Yattara in the 48th minute as the Valladolid midfielder was in alone on Frias, but the keeper somehow got a hand on the ball to deflect it just wide.
In the 51st minute, Carles Alena dribbled through the midfield, and found Oscar Melendo. Melendo dribbled into the box, stopped and sent a nick cutback pass to Sean Maguire, who spun at the top of the six to get space, and then hit it low and into the right corner past a diving Jodi Masip to put Espanyol back in front, 2-1.
But Real Valladolid would not go away and they got their reward in the 74th minute as George Tucadean headed one past Frias, off of a perfectly lofted pass in from Riccardo Meggiorini, to level the match at 2-2.
It looked like we were headed for a draw, but in injury time, Espanyol came through. This time it was Sean Maguire running hard down the center of the pitch. His through ball sent Marc Roca in on Masip and his left footed shot beat the Valladolid keeper to give Espanyol the lead and victory.
Marc Roca was named the Man of the Match with the match winning goal, and he also had an assist. Sean Maguire had a goal and assist also. He has been enjoying an extended run as of late, with the injury to Sergi Darder, and he has been making the most of it.
Espanyol will return to UEFA Europa League action on Thursday evening as they will host Malmo FF at RCDE Stadium.
La Liga Match Day 7 Results:
Real Sociedad 0:1 Real Madrid 1
Real Betis 2:1 SD Eibar
RC Deportivo 2:1 Alaves
Celta Vigo 2:1 Real Sporting
Atletico Madrid 2:1 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal CF 0:1 Valencia CF
UD Las Palmas 2:1 Sevilla
Girona 1:2 Getafe
FC Barcelona 5:0 Rayo Vallecano
Copa de Espana: Round of 32 Draw (October 31 and December 4):
Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Zragoza
Real Betis vs. Real Oviedo
Getafe CF vs. Deportivo Alaves
RCD Espanyol vs. CF Rayo
Atletico Madrid v. Real Madrid
Villarreal CF vs. CD Numancia
Girona FC vs. RCD Mallorca
Real Sporting vs. AD Alcorcon
Celta Vigo vs. Granada CF
Valencia CF vs. SD Huesca
Athletic Bilbao vs. Levante UD
UD Las Palmas vs. Cadiz CF
Sevilla FC vs. RC Deportivo
SD Eibar vs. CA Osasuna
FC Barcelona vs. Malaga CF
Real Valladoid CF vs. Real Sociedad
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 2 Results:
Olympique Lyon 0:0 RSC Anderlecht
FC Barcelona 2:0 Dortmund
Manchester CIty 2:1 SL Benfica
Schalke 2:0 CSKA Moscow
Tottenham Hotspur 4:1 Sporting CP
Torino 0:2 PAOK
Bayern Muchen 2:1 Inter Milan
Ajax 2:1 Spartak Moscow
Leverkusen 2:1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Madrid 0:1 PSG
Manchester United 2:0 Napoli
Real Betis 1:1 Galatasaray
Juventus 1:0 Liverpool
Lokomotiv Moscow 2:1 FC Kobenhavn
Carles Alena had a goal and assist in Espanyol's victory.
SCORING:
3' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
45' - (ESP) - C. Alena
66' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
10/3/19
Barcelona (AP) - RCD Espanyol struck early and cruised to a 3-nil victory over Malmo FF on Thursday evening on match day two of the group stage of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League at rainy RCDE Stadium.
Marc Roca got Espanyol going early as he found Alex Lopez making a run from the midfield. He led him with a perfect pass that Lopez one-timed past Johan Dahlin just three minutes in to give Espanyol a 1-nil lead. They would go on to dominate the opening half, and got a reward just before the half as Roca setup Carles Alena with an easy tap in goal in the 45th minute. Espanyol outshot Malmo FF 7-3 in the opening 45 minutes, with Malmo getting none of those shots on target.
Carles Alena had a glorious chance to make it 3-nil in the 59th minute as he ran through the box unmarked, but he smashed a shot just wide of the left post. Seven minutes later, Frank van der Meer setup Emmanuel Boateng, and he sent a bullet into the top right corner to but Espanyol up by three.
Malmo FF's lone goot scoring chance came in the 84th minute when Soren Rieks found himself alone with Edu Frias, but Frias was able to make the save and keep the clean sheet, his third in four Europa League appearances.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday at Athletic Bilbao as they take a break from Europa League action. Their next match in the Europa League will be in three weeks as they host Besiktas.
Notes: Timothy Fosu-Mensah suffered a pulled quad in training this week and he will likely miss about three weeks of action. The new acquisition was expected to be in the lineup for the club's Europa League match up with Malmo FF. Taking his place in the line up was Mario Hermosa.
Europa League Group Stage Match Day 2:
Besiktas 0:2 Club Brugge
TSG Hoffenheim 3:1 KAA Gent
Viktoria Plzen 1:0 Lech Poznan
Arsenal 2:1 Hertha Berlin
FC Basel 2:0 AS Saint-Etienne
AC Milan 4:1 V. Guimaraes
Nottingham Forest 1:2 Brondby IF
RB Leipzig 2:2 KRC Genk
Panathinaikos 2:2 Legia Warszawa
Olympique Marsaille 2:0 Dynamo Kyiv
Basaksehir 3:0 IF Elfsborg
Villarreal CF 1:1 AZ
SK Rapid Wien 3:0 FC Zurich
Lazio 2:0 PSV
Rosenborg BK 2:2 Santa Clara
Chelsea 2:0 RB Salzburg
Celtic 1:2 MKE Ankaragucu
SC Braga 2:2 Standard Liege
BSC Young Boys 1:1 AIK
Roma 2:0 Feyenoord
Rangers 0:0 Sparta Praha
ATHLETIC BILBAO 3:1 RCD ESPANYOL San Mames (Capacity: 53,289)
Markel Susaeta seals it for Athletic Club, ending Espanyol's unbeaten streak.
SCORING:
59' - (ATH) - R. Garcia
63' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
88' - (ATH) - I. Muniain
90' - (ATH) - M. Susaeta
DISCIPLINE:
12' - (ESP) - F. Benkovic (Yellow)
10/6/19
Bilbao, ESP (AP) - Espanyol saw their 10 match unbeaten streak come to an end on Sunday afternoon as they gave up two late goals and fell 3-1 at San Mames to Athletic Bilbao. Iker Muniain's goal in the 88th minute broke a 1-1 draw and helped Bilbao earned full points.
This match went to the half scoreless with both sides feeling each other out as a heavy rain fell in Bilbao.
The second half would open up a bit, beginning in the 47th minute as Oscar Melendo got in alone on Iago Herrerin, but his shot got deflected over the bar. Raul Garcia then had a great chance in the 50th minute with Edu Frias knocking his shot just wide. Unai Nunez then headed the ensuing corner off of the woodwork.
Athletic Club would finally unlock Espanyol in the 59th minute when Iker Muniain sent a long ball into the box. Raul Garcia got on the end of it and caught Edu Frias in no man's land, heading it over the Espanyol keeper and into the net to put Bilbao in front 1-nil.
It did not take lone for Espanyol to answer. In the 63rd minute, Carles Alena hit one off the inside of the left post. The rebound fell right to Alex Lopez, who tapped it in to level the match after Athletic Club led for just four minutes.
It would remain tied until very late and it looked like both teams would earn a well deserved point, but it was not to be. Inaka Williams found Iker Muniain in the box in the 88th minute and he beat Edu Frias with the left foot to put Bilbao in front. They would add an insurance marker in injury time as Markel Susaeta raced down the right side and took a perfect headed pass from Inaka Williams and launched a cracker past Frias to make it 3-1.
Athletic Bilbao outshot Espanyol 15-5, including 11-2 in the second half. Inaka Williams earned Man of the Match honors, assisting on both of the late Bilbao goals.
The teams will now have off until October 19th for the International Break. Espanyol (4-2-2, 14 pts) will return home to host Getafe CF, before returning to Europa League action against Besiktas. Athletic Bilbao improved to (2-2-4, 8 pts) and escaped the relegation zone with the victory.
La Liga Match Day 8 Results:
Getafe CF 1:2 Atletico Madrid
Girona 1:2 Celta Vigo
Sevilla 3:1 Real Sporting
SD Eibar 1:1 RC Deportivo
Real Madrid 2:2 Villarreal CF
Alaves 1:2 FC Barcelona
Valencia CF 1:0 Real Betis
Real Valladolid 1:2 Real Sociedad
Rayo Vallecano 1:1 UD Las Palmas
10/19/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol surrendered a late equalizer, dropping points as they settled for a 1-1 draw with Getafe CF on Saturday afternoon at RCDE Stadium. Lucas Alario scored the equalizer on a gorgeous volley past a helpless Edu Frias in the 89th minute for the visitors.
The teams battled to a scoreless draw in the opening half with Getafe CF outshooting Espanyol 6-2 with both sides sharing possession equally.
Espanyol came out after halftime and seemed to pick up the pace. Alex Lopez got free in the box in the 49th minute, but his left footed shot sailed just over the bar. In the 62nd minute, Jeremie Boca sent a nice through ball down the left wing to Theo Hernandez making a run from the back. Hernandez dribbled into the box along the touch line and chipped it past keeper Leandro Chichizola to put Espanyol up 1-nil.
Oscar Melendo missed on a glorious chance in the 68th minute, curling a right footed shot just wide.
Getafe CF held a shot advantage in this one, but never really seemed like a threat to score until late. In the 84th minute, Lucas Alario got free in the penalty area, but his left footed shot rolled just wide of the right post. Minutes later, Angel took the ball down the right wing and centered a ball into the box that Alario got on the end of, volleying it past Edu Frias to level the match.
Getafe (4-2-3, 14 pts) would outshoot Espanyol 13-6, including a 6-1 advantage on shots that were on target.
Espanyol (4-3-2, 15 pts) returns to UEFA Europa League action on Thursday evening as they will host Besiktas JK at RCDE Stadium. They return to La Liga action next Sunday as they travel to Catalonia to take on struggling Girona (1-1-7, 4 pts), who currently sit in 19th position in the La Liga table.
La Liga Match Day 9 Results:
RC Deportivo 0:1 Valencia CF
Real Betis 2:2 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid 3:1 Girona
Real Sporting 1:2 Rayo Vallecano
TC Barcelona 4:0 SD Eibar
Real Sociedad 1:2 Athletic Bilbao
UD las Palmas 1:2 Alaves
Celta Vigo 1:2 Sevilla
Villarreal CF 3:0 Real Valladolid
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 3 Results:
Olympique Lyon 1:0 FC Barcelona
Dortmund 2:2 RSC Anderlecht
SL Benfica 2:1 CSKA Moscow
Schalke 1:1 Manchester City
Sporting CP 0:1 PAOK
Torino 0:1 Tottenham Hotspur
Ajax 1:2 Bayern Munchen
Inter Milan 3:1 Spartak Moscow
Leverkusen 1:2 Real Madrid
PSG 3:0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Betis 1:2 Manchester United
Napoli 1:0 Galatasaray
Liverpool 4:0 FC Kobenhavn
Lokomotiv Moscow 1:1 Juventus
FC Porto 0:1 Atletico Madrid
AS Monaco 4:1 Dinamo Zagreb
RCD ESPANYOL 1:2 BESIKTAS JK RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Gary Medel scored the match winner as Besiktas earned full points on Thursday evening.
SCORING:
9' - (BJK) - C. Erkin
15' - (ESP) - T. Weah (Pen)
77' - (BJK) - G. Medel
DISCIPLINE:
21' - (ESP) - M. Diaz (Yellow)
41' - (ESP) - J. Calavera (Yellow)
42' - (ESP) - T. Fosu-Mensah (Red)
62' - (ESP) - A. Pedrosa (Yellow)
10/24/19
Barcelona (AP) - Fielding mainly their "B" team, Espanyol dropped a 2-1 decision to Besiktas JK on Thursday evening at RCDE Stadium on UEFA Europa League group stage match day three. Gary Medel scored late against an Espanyol team down a man to help Besiktas earn their first points of the Europa League campaign.
Besiktas JK got out in front in the opening minutes as Ricardo Quaresma raced down the right wing and crossed a ball across the front of the Espanyol goal. Caner Erkin settled the ball, then drilled it past Espanyol's backup keeper Arsene Soro, to put Besiktas up 1-nil.
In the 15th minute, Kenny Tete tackled Alex Lopez from behind in the penalty area. The foul would give Espanyol a penalty, but incredibly did not see Tete sent off. Timothy Weah calmly stepped up and placed it into the left corner to level the match.
Jordi Calavera picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute for a hard foul on Gokhan Tore. Moments late, Timothy Fosu-Mensah tackled Tore from behind and was sent off. Manager Raul Tamudo was incensed. Espanyol would have to play the final 48 minutes down a man.
Besiktas JK almost grabbed the lead just before halftime as Oguzhan Ozyakup one-timed a ball just inside the six yard box that Arsene Soro somehow deflected wide to keep the match level. Besiktas outshot Espanyol 9-1 in the opening 45 minutes and held a possession advantage.
The teams played a very conservative second half with a lot of midfield play. But as time wore one, Espanyol looked to wear down and Besiktas began to find open space. In the 77th minute, Gokhan Tore cracked a ball off the post. Soro dove and missed the ball, with the rebound falling right to the foot of unmarked Gary Medel. He tapped it in to give Besiktas the lead.
In the 86th minute, Espanyol midfielder Damia was pulled down in the Besiktas box with no call. Again, Espanyol players and coaches protested to no avail. Besiktas would hold on to earn the full three points and drop Espanyol to (2-0-1, 6 pts) and into a tie with Malmo FF atop the Group A table.
Besiktas outshot Espanyol 17-3, including 8-1 in shots on target.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday as they travel to Girona.
2019-20 UEFA Europa League Match Day 3 Results:
Club Brugge 0:1 Malmo FF
Viktoria Plzen 1:1 TSG Hoffenheim
KAA Gent 2:0 Lech Poznan
FC Basel 0:2 Arsenal
Hertha Berlin 0:1 AS Saint-Etienne
Nottingham Forest 1:1 AC Milan
V. Guimaraes 3:0 Brondby IF
Panathinaikos 1:1 RB Leipzig
KRC Genk 1:1 Legia Warszawa
Basaksehir 0:0 Olympique Marsaille
Dynamo Kyiv 2:0 IF Elfsborg
SK Rapid Wien 1:1 Villarreal CF
AZ 4:1 FC Zurich
Rosenborg BK 1:2 Lazio
PSV 2:0 Santa Clara
Celtic 1:2 Chelsea
RB Salzburg 1:1 MKE Ankaragucu
BSC Young Boys 0:1 SC Braga
Standard Liege 2:0 AIK
Rangers 0:1 Roma
Feyenoord 2:0 Sparta Praha
Slavia Praha 1:1 Valencia CF
Fenerbahce 4:0 De Graafschap
GIRONA FC 0:1 RCD ESPANYOL Estadio Montilivi (Capacity: 13,450)
Emmanuel Boateng would convert this penalty to send Espanyol on to victory.
SCORING:
71' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
10/27/19
Girona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol played a high charged match with Catalonian rival Girona FC on Sunday evening and with the help of the referee, came away with a 1-nil victory at Montilivi.
Johan Mojica was called for a controversial penalty in the 70th minute as he nudged Oscar Melendo at the edge of the penalty area. Emmanuel Boateng stepped up and struck the ball into the right corner to give Espanyol the lead, which they would hold onto to earn the full three points.
This was a very defensive match played in a light drizzle. Girona would outshoot Espanyol 9-6, but Espanyol had the better chances, with five of their six shots on target.
Girona's (1-1-8, 4 pts) best opportunity to score came in the 55th minute when Jairo got free at the top of the six, but his volley sailed just over the bar.
Espanyol (5-3-2, 18 pts) really controlled the midfield behind the return of Sergi Darder, from a toe injury, and Carles Alena. But they could not seem to find good positions to score. Estaban Ponce, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, had Espanyol's best opportunity to score before the Boateng penalty conversion. He ran onto a nice pass from Carles Alena and drilled a left footed shot just off the outside of the woodwork from outside the penalty area in the 66th minute.
The Periquitos return to action on Wednesday as they will host CF Rayo in the home tie of the Copa de Espana Round of 32. They return to La Liga action next Sunday as they host Atletico Madrid (7-1-2, 22pts) who sit atop the La Liga table, four points clear of 6th place Espanyol.
La Liga Match Day 10 Results:
Getafe 1:2 Real Sociedad
Real Madrid 2:1 RC Deportivo
Rayo Vallecano 0:2 Sevilla
Atletico Madrid 2:0 Celta Vigo
SD Eibar 1:0 UD Las Palmas
Real Valladolid 1:1 Real Betis
Alaves 1:1 Real Sporting
Valencia CF 0:1 FC Barcelona
Athletic Bilbao 2:3 Villarreal CF
Timothy Weah elevated to head home Espanyol's first goal.
SCORING:
29' - (ESP) - T. Weah
41' - (ESP) - Damia
83' - (ESP) - T. Weah
DISCIPLINE:
19' - (ESP) - M. Hermoso (Yellow)
36' - (MAJ) - I. Carcelen (Yellow)
10/31/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol cruised to a rather easy 3-nil victory over CF Rayo Majadahonda in Wednesday's home leg of their Copa de Espana Round of 32 tie. Young reserve striker Timothy Weah (United States) scored twice to help pace Espanyol to the victory.
Timothy Weah was the Man of the Match and for good reason. The 19-year-old was dominant in this one. In the 12th minute, he had a great chance to put Espanyol up, but his header off of a cross from Frank van der Meer hit hard off of the crossbar and caromed out. Weah then setup Mario Diaz in the 29th minute, but Diaz's shot was just deflected over the bar by keeper Basilio.
On the ensuing corner kick, Timothy Weah got on the end of the Diaz out swinger, and headed it home to put Espanyol on the board.
Midfielder Damia would double the Espanyol lead before halftime on a pretty pass from Alex Lopez. Damia spun at the top of the box, dribbled once and struck it low and into the lower right corner to make it 2-nil.
The Periquitos would extend their lead in the 83rd minute as Estaban Ponce passed to Pol Lozano, who sent a perfect through ball that Timothy Weah one-timed past Basilio to make it 3-nil.
Espanyol would outshoot Segunda Division side Rayo Majadahonda 12-6 with an 8-1 advantage of shots on target. Rayo Majadahonda currently sits in last place in Liga 1|2|3 with just four points after 11 matches. The second leg of this Round of 32 matchup with take place in Madrid in the first week of December.
Espanyol learned after the match that keeper Arsene Soro suffered a broken metatarsal during the match and will likely miss the next five weeks of action. They will return to La Liga action on Sunday as they will host first place Atletico Madrid.
Copa de Espana Round of 32 Results:
Rayo Vallecano 0:1 Real Zaragoza
Real Betis 4:0 Real Oviedo
Getafe CF 0:0 Deportivo Alaves
Atletico Madrid 1:1 Real Madrid
Cillarreal CF 3:0 CD Numancia
Girona FC 2:0 RCD Mallorca
Real SPorting 1:0 AD Alcorcon
Celta Vigo 2:0 Granada CF
Valencia CF 2:1 SD Huesca
Athletic Bilbao 1:2 Lebante UD
UD Las Palmas 2:0 Cadiz CF
Sevilla FC 0:0 RC Deportivo
SD Eibar 0:0 CA Osasuna
FC Barcelona 1:0 Malaga CF
Real Valladolid CF 0:1 Real Sociedad
RCD ESPANYOL 0:3 ATLETICO MADRID RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Thomas Lemar and Atletico Madrid appear to be the class of La Liga
SCORING:
45' - (ATM) - T. Lemar
54' - (ATM) - T. Lemar
58' - (ATM) - G. Moreno
DISCIPLINE:
29' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow)
45' - (ESP) - A. Lopez (Yellow)
57' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow/Red)
11/3/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol faced an early season test on Sunday and failed miserably as first place Atletico Madrid took them apart in a 3-nil victory at RCDE Stadium. Thomas Lemar scored twice and Sergi Darder was sent off in the 57th minute after two yellow cards for rough tackles.
The first half was spent with both sides feeling each other out, and very few actual scoring chances. Atletico Madrid finally had a very good chance in the 445h minute as Antoine Griezmann intercepted a Carles Alena pass at the top of the box and sent a rocket in that Edu Frias somehow got a hand on deflect wide.
On the ensuing corner, Thomas Lemar outleaped Carles Alena at the top of the six yard box and headed home a corner from Gelson Martins to give Atletico a much deserved halftime lead. They outshot Espanyol 9-3 including a 6-0 advantage in shots on target.
Thomas Lemar would add to the Atletico lead just nine minutes into the second half as he dribbled in from the corner, and laced one into the top right corner to make it 2-nil.
Minutes later, Sergi Darder slid hard into Griezmann in the midfield and drew an obvious yellow card. It would be his second of the match and it sent him off. On the restart, Geovanni Moreno dribbled past Alex Lopez and struck a left footer past Edu Frias to make it 3-nil.
Atletico Madrid (8-1-2, 25 pts) look to be the class of La Liga so far and they did nothing to cast any doubts on Sunday. Espanyol (5-3-3, 18 pts) had a chance to get within a point of the leaders, but never really looked the part. They were outshot 18-6 and 12-2 in shots on target, while playing down a man the final 33 minutes.
"This is a young side, still trying to find their way," said manager Raul Tamudo afterwards. "We look forward to playing against top flight competition and I am confident that this side is going to become a fixture near the top of the table in La Liga and in Europe."
Espanyol will now travel to Istanbul to face a Besiktas side that defeated them at home 2-1 two weeks ago on Match Day 4 of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League group play.
La Liga Match Day 11 Results:
FC Barcelona 1:1 Real Madrid
Villarreal CF 3:0 Getafe CF
Real Betis 3:0 Athletic Bilbao
Celta Vigo 1:1 Rayo Vallecano
Real Sporting 0:0 SD Eibar
RC Deportivo 2:1 Real Valladolid CF
Real Sociedad 2:3 Girona
Sevilla 2:0 Alaves
UD Las Palmas 1:1 Valencia CF
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 4 Results:
FC Barcelona 2:0 Olympique Lyon
RSC Anderlecht 1:2 Dortmund
CSKA Moscow 2:2 SL Benfica
Manchester City 3:2 Schalke
Tottenham Hotspur 2:1 Torino
PAOK 1:1 Sporting CP
Spartak Moscow 1:0 Inter Milan
FC Bayern Munchen 4:1 Ajax
Real Madrid 1:0 Leverkusen
Shakhtar Donetsk 0:1 PSG
Manchester United 3:0 Real Betis
Galatasaray 1:1 Napoli
Juventus 3:1 Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Kobenhavn 1:1 Liverpool
BESIKTAS JK 2:0 RCD ESPANYOL Vodafone Park (Capacity: 41,903)
Gary Medel scored again and was named your Man of the Match in Besiktas' victory.
SCORING:
30' - (BJK) - U. Nayir
85' - (BJK) - G. Medel
DISCIPLINE:
74' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow)
87' - (ESP) - T. Weah (Yellow)
11/7/19
Istanbul, TUR (AP) - RCD Espanyol suddenly finds themselves in a bit of danger in the Europa League after a 2-nil loss on Thursday evening to Besiktas JK in damp Istanbul. Gary Medel scored for the second straight match against Espanyol as Besiktas drew even on points with six after four match days.
Besiktas JK would take the lead in the 30th minute after a giveaway by Theo Hernandez. Atiba Hutchinson then passed the pass into the box and Umut Nayir one timed it into the top left corner to give the home side a 1-nil advantage. Gary Medel had a chance to extend that lead just before halftime, but he headed one just wide off the side netting.
Timothy Weah volleyed one just over the bar on a perfect cross from Frank van der Meer in the 69th minute. It would be Espanyol's best chance to core all evening.
Gary Medel then put Espanyol away in the 85th minute as he headed one past Edu Frias on a cross from Jeremain Lens to make it 2-nil.
Besiktas JK outshot Espanyol 11-6, but they had 10 shots before halftime. Their lone shot in the second half was Medel's goal. The second consecutive shutout of Espanyol marks the first time that this has happened since Raul Tamudo took over the club at the beginning of 2018-19.
Through four match days, Group A has all four teams at (2-0-2, 6 pts). Espanyol will face Club Brugge at home on November 28th and travel to Malmo FF on December 12th. The club returns to La Liga competition on Sunday as they will host Celta Vigo.
2019-20 UEFA Europa League Match Day 4 Results:
Malmo FF 0:1 Club Brugge
TSG Hoffenheim 5:0 Viktoria Plzen
Lech Poznan 1:3 KAA Gent
Arsenal 3:1 FC Basel
AS Saint-Etienne 2:2 Hertha Berlin
AC Milan 3:0 Nottingham Forest
Brondby IF 1:1 V. Guimaraes
RB Leipzig 5:0 Panathinaikos
Legia Warszawa 1:3 KRC Genk
Olympique Marsaille 3:0 Basaksehir
IF Elfsborg 1:0 Dynamo Kyiv
Villarreal CF 2:1 SK Rapid Wien
FC Zurich 0:1 AZ
Lazio 3:1 Rosenborg BK
Santa Clara 1:1 PSV
Chelsea 1:1 Celtic
MKE Ankaragucu 1:0 RB Salzburg
SC Braga 4:1 BSC Young Boys
AIK 0:2 Standard Liege
Roma 2:0 Rangers
Sparta Praha 1:1 Feyenoord
Valencia CF 5:0 Slavia Praha
De Graafschap 0:1 Fenerbahce
RCD ESPANYOL 2:1 CELTA VIGO RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Emmanuel Boateng scored twice as RCD Espanyol rallied to victory.
SCORING:
21' - (CEL) - B. Mendez
27' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
51' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
28' - (CEL) - D. Costas (Yellow)
42' - (ESP) - E. Ponce (Yellow)
11/11/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol used two goals from Emmanuel Boateng to rally from an early deficit to defeat Celta Vigo at RCDE Stadium on Monday evening. The victory moved Espanyol into sixth place in La Liga.
Celta Vigo took a surprising lead just 21 minutes in on a giveaway from Filipe Benkovic. Benkovic tried passing across the box to Theo Hernandez, and Brais Mendez intercepted his pass and hit a laser into the top left corner past a helpless Edu Frias to give the visitors the lead.
That lead was short lived though, as six minutes later it was Emmanuel Boateng. Marc Rosa passed the ball into Estaban Ponce, who one-timed a beautiful through ball to Boateng. He dribbled once and slipped it under Ivan Villar to level the match.
Early in the second half, Mario Diaz found Emmanuel Boateng near the top of the box. He unleashed a howitzer into the top left corner to put Espanyol up 2-1.
Jeremie Boga dribbled in from the left side in the 55th minute, and beat Villar between the legs, but his ball rolled just wide of the right post. Theo Hernandez cracked one over the bar in the 58th minute as Espanyol was just peppering Celta in the opening quarter hour of the second half.
Edu Frias would then come up huge in the 60th minute as he made a fantastic save on Emre Mor. Espanyol would lock it down defensively to hold on for full points. Celta did get one final great chance in injury time, but Iago Aspas' shot sailed just over the bar from about 20 yards out.
Espanyol (6-3-3, 21 pts) outshot Celta 15-6 and dominated possession. Up next is a trip to Basque Country and San Sebastian to take on Real Sociedad (4-1-7, 13 pts).
La Liga Match Day 12 Results:
SD Eibar 1:2 Sevilla
Real Madrid 1:2 UD Las Palmas
Getafe 0:1 Real Betis
Atletico Madrid 3:0 Real Sociedad
Valencia CF 2:1 Real Sporting
Athletic Bilbao 1:2 RC Deportivo
Alaves 2:0 Rayo Vallecano
Real Valladolid 1:1 FC Barcelona
Girona 0:3 Villarreal CF
REAL SOCIEDAD 0:3 RCD ESPANYOL Estadio de Aneota (Capacity: 25,000)
Jermaine Boga and friends celebrate a win over Real Sociedad.
SCORING:
56' - (ESP) - J. Boga
70' - (ESP) - V. Sanchez
84' - (ESP) - T. Weah
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
11/24/19
San Sebastian, Basque, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol took to the road and turned out a dominating performance in a 3-nil victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday afternoon. Three second half goals broke open a tight match and sent Espanyol to their second straight La Liga victory.
Tim Weah blew a glorious chance in the opening moments of the match as Oscar Melendo sent in a pass to an open Weah in the box, but unmarked, he hit it over the bar.
Real Sociedad returned the favor in the 16th minute when Andrea Favilli got open at the top of the six with Edu Frias out of position, but his volley skipped just wide. The teams would go to the break scoreless and even on shots at 4-4.
After Tim Weah setup a Carles Alena miss in the 50th minute, Espanyol finally broke through in the 56th minute. Sergi Darder dribbled into the box, then passed it to Jeremie Boga, who roofed it to give Espanyol the lead. Carles Alena setup Victor Sanchez in the 70th minute for Espanyol's second goal. Sanchez, making a surprising start, rewarded Raul Tamudo, by scoring his first goal on the campaign.
Timothy Weah would put a cap on this one with a goal in off the right post in the 84th minute. Sergi Darder passed it into Jeremie Boga, who dribbled it into the box, then dropped it back for the trailing Weah, who put it in off the post.
Espanyol (7-3-4, 24 pts) moved up to fifth position in La Liga with the victory. Real Sociedad (4-1-8, 13 pts) dropped to 15th place. Up next for Espanyol is a huge Europa League match on Thursday at home against Club Brugge.
La Liga Match Day 13 Results:
Villarreal CF 0:1 Atletico Madrid
Real Sporting 1:1 Real Madrid
Real Betis 3:0 Girona
Sevilla 1:0 Valencia CF
UD Las Palmas 1:2 Real Valladolid
Rayo Vallecano 1:2 SD Eibar
Celta Vigo 1:1 Alaves
FC Barcelona 3:1 Athletic Bilbao
RC Deportivo 1:1 Getafe CF
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 5 Results:
FC Barcelona 2:0 RSC Anderlecht
Olympique Lyon 1:1 Dortmund
Manchester City 1:0 CSKA Moscow
Schalke 1:1 SL Benfica
Torino 1:2 Sporting CP
Tottenham Hotspur 3:1 PAOK
Ajax 1:1 Inter Milan
Bayern Munchen 2:1 Spartak Moscow
Real Madrid 2:0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Leverkusen 1:0 PSG
Manchester United 4:1 Galatasaray
Real Betis 0:1 Napoli
Juventus 4:0 FC Kobenhavn
Lokomotiv Moscow 1:1 Liverpool
FC Porto 1:1 AS Monaco
Atletico Madrid 3:0 Dinamo Zagreb
Rated E For Everyone.
Comments
Barcelona (AP) - Some injury news came out after the game on Sunday. Sergi Darder, who left Sunday's match after the 4th minute with a foot injury has been ruled out for up to two months with a broken toe. He got caught in a scramble in front of the Espanyol goal and got stepped on. It looks like youngster Alex Lopez may get to fill his role in the midfield.
Oscar Melendo was approached by Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and the club announced that they were willing to pay the release clause in his contract of $13M to Espanyol. Manager Raul Tamudo met with Melendo Sunday evening and the sides worked out a four-year contract extension for the 22-year-old Spaniard to remain at Espanyol. It is believed that he did get a slight bump in salary and his role at the club has been revised to satisfy both him and his agent.
Raul Tamudo was named the August La Liga Manger of the Month. He led Espanyol to a victory in their Europa League Qualification tie with Cork City, sending Espanyol into the Group Stage. The team went (0-1-1) in league play, losing at home to Sevilla and defeating Rayo Vallecano on the road.
The team will now have off for two weeks for the International Break. The only player leaving for duty is Irish striker Sean Maguire. Maguire's agent recently told the club that his client has been unhappy with his client's playing time and if things do not change, he may ask for a transfer during the January window.
SD EIBAR 1:1 RCD ESPANYOL
Ipurua (Capacity: 7,083)
Jeremie Boga celebrates his first goal as a member of RCD Espanyol.
SCORING:
45' - (ESP) - J. Boga
54' - (EIB) - S. Enrich
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
9/14/19
Eibar, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol's struggles in La Liga continued on Saturday evening in Eibar as they drew 1-1 with SD Eibar at Ipurua. A defensive match with very few good scoring opportunities frustrated Espanyol and some people are pointing at Raul Tamudo's decision to get rid of proven talent that has Espanyol struggling early on.
This game seemed to be played mostly in the midfield between the boxes for most of the first half. Oscar Melendo had Espanyol's best scoring opportunity in the 28th minute as he managed to get in alone on Marko Dmitrovic, but Dmitrovic was able to somehow stop him to keep the match scoreless.
Defender Ludwig Augustinsson gave Eibar a great chance to take the lead in the 39th minute, coming up from his left back position to crack one from just inside the Espanyol box, but Edu Frias got a hand on it to knock it wide.
As the half was drawing to a close, Estaban Ponce dribbled into the Eibar box and towards the end line, he turned and tried to center the ball, but defender Paulo got in the way and panicking, tried to clear it. It went straight to Jeremie Boga, who hit a laser into the lower right corner to give Espanyol the lead.
It wouldn't stay that way for long. Early in the second half Daniel Royer took the ball down the left flank for Eibar. He passed it pass to Sergi Enrich trailing the play. He one-timed it from just inside the box past a diving Edu Frias to tie the match at 1-1 in the 54th minute.
Espanyol had a couple of great chances to retake the lead but failed. Sean Maguire split the Eibar defense and was in all alone in the 59th minute, but his left footed shot went just wide of the post. Then in the 68th minute, Jeremie Boga seared one just over the crossbar.
Final shots ended up 8-7 in favor of Espanyol, but the shots on target were 5-3 in favor of Eibar. Marc Roca earned Man of the Match honors for Espanyol (1-2-1, 5 pts) who sit in 13th place after four match days. SD Eibar (1-1-2, 4 pts) are in 14th place.
Up next for Espanyol is a trip to Belgium on Thursday for the opening of Europa League group play at Club Brugge. They return to La Liga action next Sunday at home as they will host Valencia CF.
La Liga Match Day 4 Results:
Athletic Bilbao 1:1 Celta Vigo
Valencia CF 1:2 Atletico Madrid
UD Las Palmas 2:1 FC Barcelona
Rayo Vallecano 2:2 Villarreal CF
Real Madrid 3:0 Girona
Alaves 1:1 Real Sociedad
Real Sporting 1:2 RC Deportivo
Sevilla 1:2 Real Betis
Real Valladolid 1:2 Getafe
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 1 Results:
Dortmund 2:2 Olympique Lyon
RSC Anderlecht 1:0 FC Barcelona
CSKA Moscow 1:1 Manchester City
SL Benfica 1:2 Schalke
Sporting CP 2:0 Torino
PAOK 0:2 Tottenham Hotspur
Spartak Moscow 0:2 Bayern Munchen
Inter Milan 2:1 Ajax
Shakhtar Donetsk 2:3 Real Madrid
PSG 2:0 Leverkusen
Galatasaray 1:2 Manchester United 2
Napoli 2:0 Real Betis
FC Kobenhavn 1:2 Juventus
Liverpool 5:1 Lokomotiv Moscow
Dinamo Zagreb 0:1 Atletico Madrid
AS Monaco 2:0 FC Porto
CLUB BRUGGE 2:3 RCD ESPANYOL
Jan Breydel Stadium (Capacity: 29,062)
Oscar Melendo comes through in injury time with the match winner.
SCORING:
38' - (CLB) - F. Acheampong
52' - (CLB) - H. Vanaken
56' - (ESP) - J. Boga
70' - (ESP) - S. Maguire
90'+ - (ESP) - O. Melendo
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
9/19/19
Bruges, BEL (AP) - RCD Espanyol scored three second half goals to erase a two goal deficit to stun Club Brugge 3-2 on Thursday evening at Jan Breydel Stadium on the opening day of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League group play.
Club Brugge pressed from the start and played a game that Espanyol usually does not see. Brugge held a possession advantage in this one and pressed Espanyol into early mistakes. They outshot Espanyol 8-0 over the first 25 minutes and had two great chances to take the lead. Frank Acheampong was in alone on Edu Frias in the 8th minute, but Frias deflected his shot just wide. Theo Hernandez then cleared a ball off the line in the 15th minute off of a header from Hans Vanaken to keep the match scoreless.
Espanyol would finally get their first shot in the 29th minute as Carles Alena sent Emmanuel Boateng in alone on Karlo Letica, but he forced Boateng to send the ball just wide.
Club Brugge broke through in the 38th minute as Frank Acheampong got behind the Espanyol defense on a counter attack and perfect long ball from Kaveh Rezaei, He slipped the ball past Edu Frias to put Club Brugge up 1-nil. Acheampong was making his Club Brugge debut after transferring from Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA on August 31st.
Espanyol had a couple of great chances late in the half to level it. Alena sent in Boateng again but he missed just wide. Alena then intercepted a ball at the top of the Brugge box, but his shot sailed just wide, left of the post.
Club Brugge would add to their lead just after the half as Hans Vanaken headed home a corner to make it 2-nil. It looked as though Brugge would be on their way to an impressive win on a rainy night in Bruges. But it was not to be.
Espanyol finally unlocked the Brugge defense just minutes later, as Carles Alena sent a long ball into Jeremie Boga. Boga sent a left footer into the far side netting to get Espanyol on the scoreboard. In the 70th minute, substitute Sean Maguire took a pass from Alena and split the Brugge defense, then chipped it over Karlo Letica to level the match and silence the crowd.
Club Brugge would have a couple of great chances to retake the lead. Frank Acheampong missed from nine yards out in the 80th minute, and after Edu Frias made a stop on Maxi Urruti, the rebound went straight to Stefano Denswil, but his volley sailed just over the bar.
Then in injury time, Oscar Melendo dribbled into the Brugge box, lost the ball, then stole it back. He dribbled twice then fired a left footed shot that deflected off of defender Stefano Denswil and got past keeper Karlo Letica to put Espanyol in front.
The improbable goal sent Espanyol to a huge opening match victory and to the top of the Group A table. Club Brugge outshot Espanyol 19-13 and held a possession advantage, the first game that Espanyol did not hold a possession advantage this season.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday as they will host Valencia CF at RCDE Stadium.
Europa League Group Stage Match Day 1:
Malmo FF 1:0 Besiktas
Lech Poznan 1:1 TSG Hoffenheim
KAA Gent 2:2 Viktoria Plzen
AS Saint-Etienne 1:1 Arsenal
Hertha Berlin 1:1 FC Basel
Brondy IF 0:2 AC Milan
V. Guimaraes 1:2 Nottingham Forest
Legia Warszawa 0:1 RB Leipzig
KRC Genk 1:0 Panathinaikos
IF Elfsborg 1:1 Olympique Marsaille
Dynamo Kyiv 1:0 Basaksehir
FC Zurich 0:2 Villarreal CF
AZ 1:0 SK Rapid Wien
Santa Clara 2:1 Lazio
PSV 1:0 Rosenborg BK
MKE Ankaragucu 0:2 Chelsea
RB Salzburg 1:1 Celtic
AIK 0:2 SC Braga
Standard Liege 2:0 BSC Young Boys
Sparta Praha 1:0 Roma
Feyenoord 1:1 Rangers
De Graafschap 2:2 Valencia CF
Fenerbahce 3:0 Slavia Praha
RCD ESPANYOL 1:0 VALENCIA CF
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Emmanuel Boateng scored the lone goal in a big Espanyol victory.
SCORING:
38' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
17' - (ESP) - Marc Roca (Yellow)
88' - (ESP) - E. Boateng (Yellow)
9/22/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol picked up a huge win on Sunday afternoon, defeating Valencia CF 1-nil at RCDE Stadium to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches across all competitions. Emmanuel Boateng was in the right place at the right time as he put away a rebound in the 38th minute for the lone marker.
Youngster Mario Diaz got the start on the right side today and he was very good. He had an excellent chance in the second minute that Norberto Neto just got a hand on. He then was unmarked near the penalty spot in the 31st minute, but his one-timer sailed just wide of the left post.
Emmanuel Boateng would get Espanyol on the board in the 38th minute. Alex Lopez dribbled into the box and took a right footed shot that Neto saved, but the ball deflected right to Boateng at the top of the six. He calmly put it in the back of the net to give Espanyol the lead.
Valencia CF would outshoot Espanyol in the opening half 6-3, but never really challenged Edu Frias.
Emmanuel Boateng had a couple of nice chances in the second half, but could not add to his goal total. He missed just wide in the 56th minute, then got denied by Neto in the 74th minute.
Valencia CF would not go down quietly though. Geoffrey Kondogbia hit a rocket from 27 yards out in the 81st minute that curled just wide of the left post. Goncalo Guedes should have tied it in injury time. Timothy Fosu-Mensah tried clearing a ball from the box, but his header went right to Guedes. Edu Frias somehow got a hand on the volley to deflect it over the bar to keep Espanyol ahead. On the ensuing corner, Kondogbia ripped a rocket from just outside the box that hit the corner of the crossbar and post and deflected away as the final whistle blew.
The win was manager Raul Tamudo's first over Valencia and moved Espanyol up into ninth place in La Liga (2-2-1, 8 pts) after five match days. Valencia CF fell to (2-0-3, 6 pts) and sits in 14th place.
Espanyol will have no time to celebrate this victory as they play on Tuesday in Madrid against second place Real Madrid (3-2-0, 11 pts). The Periquitos won last year in Madrid, 2-1.
La Liga Match Day 5 Results:
Real Betis 1:0 Rayo Vallecano
Real Sociedad 1:2 SD Eibar
Girona 2:2 Real Valladolid
Atletico Madrid 0:0 Real Madrid
FC Barcelona 1:0 Real Sporting
RC Deportivo 2:2 Sevilla
Getafe 1:0 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal CF 2:2 Alaves
Celta Vigo 2:0 UD Las Palmas
REAL MADRID 1:2 RCD ESPANYOL
Santiago Bernabeu (Capacity: 81,044)
Carles Alena cracks home the match winner.
SCORING:
31' - (RMA) - L. Vasquez
48' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
60' - (ESP) - C. Alena
DISCIPLINE:
56' - (RMA) - A. Odriozola (Yellow)
9/24/19
Madrid, ESP (AP) - Espanyol has done it again. On Sunday afternoon, Espanyol went into Santiago Bernabeu for the second straight season, and came out with a stunning 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. This time, Espanyol rallied from a one goal halftime deficit to win and extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches.
Real Madrid, sitting in second place in La Liga, struck first in the 31st minute. Lucas Vasquez got his head on a cross from Vinicius Junior and placed it just inside the near post to give Real Madrid the lead.
Espanyol's best chance in the opening half was a Jeremie Boca chance in the 39th minute. He got behind the Madrid defense, but sailed his shot just over the bar. Madrid held a possession advantage and outshot Espanyol 6-3 in the opening half.
Shortly after halftime, Espanyol would strike back and it stunned the home crowd. Carles Alena found Alex Lopez at the top of the box. Lopez dribbled once and struck a right footed rocket into the top right corner to level the match. It was Lopez's second La Liga goal and fourth in all competitions this season.
In the 57th minute, former Real Madrid player Theo Hernandez charged up the left flank and was tackled from behind as he got into the box, by Alvaro Odriozola. Odriozola received a yellow card and Espanyol was awarded a penalty. Carles Alena stepped up, but Thibaut Courtois guessed right and stopped Alena's try to keep the match level. It was the third time that Alena has failed on a penalty this season in all competitions.
Carles Alena would make up for it moments later. In the 60th minute Marc Roca sent a long through ball that Alena ran onto. He dribbled into the box and hit a left footer howitzer past a helpless Courtois to put Espanyol shockingly ahead.
From that point forward, Espanyol would hold the lead and kept their shape defensively, limiting any good scoring chances by Real Madrid.
Espanyol, with the victory, improved to (3-2-1, 11 pts) and is tied with Real Madrid in second place in the La Liga table. Up next is their third match this week as they return home to take on Real Valladolid (1-4-1, 7 pts) on Saturday. The club then hosts Malmo FF next Thursday in Match Day 2 of UEFA Europa League group play.
La Liga Match Day 6 Results:
Real Valladolid 2:1 Atletico Madrid
Valencia CF 2:0 Real Sociedad
Sevilla 1:1 FC Barcelona
Getafe CF 1:1 Celta Vigo
SD Eibar 1:0 Villarreal CF
Alaves 1:2 Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano 0:2 RC Deportico
Real Sporting 2:0 UD Las Palmas
Athletic Bilbao 2:1 Girona
Copa de Espana Opening Round Results:
Cadiz 3:2 Albacete
Real Oviedo 2:1 Tenerife
Nastic 1:2 Mallorca
CF Rayo 1:1 Almeria (CF Rayo advances 5-4 on penalties)
Malaga 4:3 Lugo
Levante 2:0 Extremadura
Numancia 2:0 Cordoba
Elche 1:2 Huesca
Granada 2:1 Leganes
Osasuna 2:1 Reus
Thanks!
RCD ESPANYOL 3:2 REAL VALLADOLID
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Sean Maguire scored his first La Liga goal on the campaign.
SCORING:
11' - (ESP) - C. Alena
21' - (VLL) - O. Plano
51' - (ESP) - S. Maguire
74' - (VLL) - G. Tucudean
90'+ - (ESP) - M. Roca
DISCIPLINE:
63' - (VLL) - M. Ward (Yellow)
9/28/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol ran their unbeaten streak to nine matches on Saturday evening as Marc Roca scored late to send Espanyol to a 3-2 victory over feisty Real Valladolid at RCDE Stadium.
Carles Alena got things started early on as he cracked one into the top corner just 11 minutes into the match, after a great pass from Marc Roca. Real Valladolid would equalize ten minutes later when Oscar Plano beat Edu Frias near the top of the box and slipped the ball past him.
Espanyol had a couple of additional scoring chances in the half as Sean Maguire rolled one just wide in the 23rd minute and Marc Roca got setup perfectly from Sean Maguire in the 34th minute, but his shot got deflected just over the bar.
Edu Frias absolutely robbed Mohamed Yattara in the 48th minute as the Valladolid midfielder was in alone on Frias, but the keeper somehow got a hand on the ball to deflect it just wide.
In the 51st minute, Carles Alena dribbled through the midfield, and found Oscar Melendo. Melendo dribbled into the box, stopped and sent a nick cutback pass to Sean Maguire, who spun at the top of the six to get space, and then hit it low and into the right corner past a diving Jodi Masip to put Espanyol back in front, 2-1.
But Real Valladolid would not go away and they got their reward in the 74th minute as George Tucadean headed one past Frias, off of a perfectly lofted pass in from Riccardo Meggiorini, to level the match at 2-2.
It looked like we were headed for a draw, but in injury time, Espanyol came through. This time it was Sean Maguire running hard down the center of the pitch. His through ball sent Marc Roca in on Masip and his left footed shot beat the Valladolid keeper to give Espanyol the lead and victory.
Marc Roca was named the Man of the Match with the match winning goal, and he also had an assist. Sean Maguire had a goal and assist also. He has been enjoying an extended run as of late, with the injury to Sergi Darder, and he has been making the most of it.
Espanyol will return to UEFA Europa League action on Thursday evening as they will host Malmo FF at RCDE Stadium.
La Liga Match Day 7 Results:
Real Sociedad 0:1 Real Madrid 1
Real Betis 2:1 SD Eibar
RC Deportivo 2:1 Alaves
Celta Vigo 2:1 Real Sporting
Atletico Madrid 2:1 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal CF 0:1 Valencia CF
UD Las Palmas 2:1 Sevilla
Girona 1:2 Getafe
FC Barcelona 5:0 Rayo Vallecano
Copa de Espana: Round of 32 Draw (October 31 and December 4):
Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Zragoza
Real Betis vs. Real Oviedo
Getafe CF vs. Deportivo Alaves
RCD Espanyol vs. CF Rayo
Atletico Madrid v. Real Madrid
Villarreal CF vs. CD Numancia
Girona FC vs. RCD Mallorca
Real Sporting vs. AD Alcorcon
Celta Vigo vs. Granada CF
Valencia CF vs. SD Huesca
Athletic Bilbao vs. Levante UD
UD Las Palmas vs. Cadiz CF
Sevilla FC vs. RC Deportivo
SD Eibar vs. CA Osasuna
FC Barcelona vs. Malaga CF
Real Valladoid CF vs. Real Sociedad
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 2 Results:
Olympique Lyon 0:0 RSC Anderlecht
FC Barcelona 2:0 Dortmund
Manchester CIty 2:1 SL Benfica
Schalke 2:0 CSKA Moscow
Tottenham Hotspur 4:1 Sporting CP
Torino 0:2 PAOK
Bayern Muchen 2:1 Inter Milan
Ajax 2:1 Spartak Moscow
Leverkusen 2:1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Madrid 0:1 PSG
Manchester United 2:0 Napoli
Real Betis 1:1 Galatasaray
Juventus 1:0 Liverpool
Lokomotiv Moscow 2:1 FC Kobenhavn
RCD ESPANYOL 3:0 MALMO FF
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Carles Alena had a goal and assist in Espanyol's victory.
SCORING:
3' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
45' - (ESP) - C. Alena
66' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
10/3/19
Barcelona (AP) - RCD Espanyol struck early and cruised to a 3-nil victory over Malmo FF on Thursday evening on match day two of the group stage of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League at rainy RCDE Stadium.
Marc Roca got Espanyol going early as he found Alex Lopez making a run from the midfield. He led him with a perfect pass that Lopez one-timed past Johan Dahlin just three minutes in to give Espanyol a 1-nil lead. They would go on to dominate the opening half, and got a reward just before the half as Roca setup Carles Alena with an easy tap in goal in the 45th minute. Espanyol outshot Malmo FF 7-3 in the opening 45 minutes, with Malmo getting none of those shots on target.
Carles Alena had a glorious chance to make it 3-nil in the 59th minute as he ran through the box unmarked, but he smashed a shot just wide of the left post. Seven minutes later, Frank van der Meer setup Emmanuel Boateng, and he sent a bullet into the top right corner to but Espanyol up by three.
Malmo FF's lone goot scoring chance came in the 84th minute when Soren Rieks found himself alone with Edu Frias, but Frias was able to make the save and keep the clean sheet, his third in four Europa League appearances.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday at Athletic Bilbao as they take a break from Europa League action. Their next match in the Europa League will be in three weeks as they host Besiktas.
Notes: Timothy Fosu-Mensah suffered a pulled quad in training this week and he will likely miss about three weeks of action. The new acquisition was expected to be in the lineup for the club's Europa League match up with Malmo FF. Taking his place in the line up was Mario Hermosa.
Europa League Group Stage Match Day 2:
Besiktas 0:2 Club Brugge
TSG Hoffenheim 3:1 KAA Gent
Viktoria Plzen 1:0 Lech Poznan
Arsenal 2:1 Hertha Berlin
FC Basel 2:0 AS Saint-Etienne
AC Milan 4:1 V. Guimaraes
Nottingham Forest 1:2 Brondby IF
RB Leipzig 2:2 KRC Genk
Panathinaikos 2:2 Legia Warszawa
Olympique Marsaille 2:0 Dynamo Kyiv
Basaksehir 3:0 IF Elfsborg
Villarreal CF 1:1 AZ
SK Rapid Wien 3:0 FC Zurich
Lazio 2:0 PSV
Rosenborg BK 2:2 Santa Clara
Chelsea 2:0 RB Salzburg
Celtic 1:2 MKE Ankaragucu
SC Braga 2:2 Standard Liege
BSC Young Boys 1:1 AIK
Roma 2:0 Feyenoord
Rangers 0:0 Sparta Praha
ATHLETIC BILBAO 3:1 RCD ESPANYOL
San Mames (Capacity: 53,289)
Markel Susaeta seals it for Athletic Club, ending Espanyol's unbeaten streak.
SCORING:
59' - (ATH) - R. Garcia
63' - (ESP) - A. Lopez
88' - (ATH) - I. Muniain
90' - (ATH) - M. Susaeta
DISCIPLINE:
12' - (ESP) - F. Benkovic (Yellow)
10/6/19
Bilbao, ESP (AP) - Espanyol saw their 10 match unbeaten streak come to an end on Sunday afternoon as they gave up two late goals and fell 3-1 at San Mames to Athletic Bilbao. Iker Muniain's goal in the 88th minute broke a 1-1 draw and helped Bilbao earned full points.
This match went to the half scoreless with both sides feeling each other out as a heavy rain fell in Bilbao.
The second half would open up a bit, beginning in the 47th minute as Oscar Melendo got in alone on Iago Herrerin, but his shot got deflected over the bar. Raul Garcia then had a great chance in the 50th minute with Edu Frias knocking his shot just wide. Unai Nunez then headed the ensuing corner off of the woodwork.
Athletic Club would finally unlock Espanyol in the 59th minute when Iker Muniain sent a long ball into the box. Raul Garcia got on the end of it and caught Edu Frias in no man's land, heading it over the Espanyol keeper and into the net to put Bilbao in front 1-nil.
It did not take lone for Espanyol to answer. In the 63rd minute, Carles Alena hit one off the inside of the left post. The rebound fell right to Alex Lopez, who tapped it in to level the match after Athletic Club led for just four minutes.
It would remain tied until very late and it looked like both teams would earn a well deserved point, but it was not to be. Inaka Williams found Iker Muniain in the box in the 88th minute and he beat Edu Frias with the left foot to put Bilbao in front. They would add an insurance marker in injury time as Markel Susaeta raced down the right side and took a perfect headed pass from Inaka Williams and launched a cracker past Frias to make it 3-1.
Athletic Bilbao outshot Espanyol 15-5, including 11-2 in the second half. Inaka Williams earned Man of the Match honors, assisting on both of the late Bilbao goals.
The teams will now have off until October 19th for the International Break. Espanyol (4-2-2, 14 pts) will return home to host Getafe CF, before returning to Europa League action against Besiktas. Athletic Bilbao improved to (2-2-4, 8 pts) and escaped the relegation zone with the victory.
La Liga Match Day 8 Results:
Getafe CF 1:2 Atletico Madrid
Girona 1:2 Celta Vigo
Sevilla 3:1 Real Sporting
SD Eibar 1:1 RC Deportivo
Real Madrid 2:2 Villarreal CF
Alaves 1:2 FC Barcelona
Valencia CF 1:0 Real Betis
Real Valladolid 1:2 Real Sociedad
Rayo Vallecano 1:1 UD Las Palmas
RCD ESPANYOL 1:1 GETAFE CF
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Lucas Alario stunned Espanyol with the late equalizer.
SCORING:
62' - (ESP) - T. Hernandez
89' - (GET) - L. Alario
DISCIPLINE:
6' - (ESP) - Pipa (Yellow)
53' - (GET) - V. Antunes (Yellow)
10/19/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol surrendered a late equalizer, dropping points as they settled for a 1-1 draw with Getafe CF on Saturday afternoon at RCDE Stadium. Lucas Alario scored the equalizer on a gorgeous volley past a helpless Edu Frias in the 89th minute for the visitors.
The teams battled to a scoreless draw in the opening half with Getafe CF outshooting Espanyol 6-2 with both sides sharing possession equally.
Espanyol came out after halftime and seemed to pick up the pace. Alex Lopez got free in the box in the 49th minute, but his left footed shot sailed just over the bar. In the 62nd minute, Jeremie Boca sent a nice through ball down the left wing to Theo Hernandez making a run from the back. Hernandez dribbled into the box along the touch line and chipped it past keeper Leandro Chichizola to put Espanyol up 1-nil.
Oscar Melendo missed on a glorious chance in the 68th minute, curling a right footed shot just wide.
Getafe CF held a shot advantage in this one, but never really seemed like a threat to score until late. In the 84th minute, Lucas Alario got free in the penalty area, but his left footed shot rolled just wide of the right post. Minutes later, Angel took the ball down the right wing and centered a ball into the box that Alario got on the end of, volleying it past Edu Frias to level the match.
Getafe (4-2-3, 14 pts) would outshoot Espanyol 13-6, including a 6-1 advantage on shots that were on target.
Espanyol (4-3-2, 15 pts) returns to UEFA Europa League action on Thursday evening as they will host Besiktas JK at RCDE Stadium. They return to La Liga action next Sunday as they travel to Catalonia to take on struggling Girona (1-1-7, 4 pts), who currently sit in 19th position in the La Liga table.
La Liga Match Day 9 Results:
RC Deportivo 0:1 Valencia CF
Real Betis 2:2 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid 3:1 Girona
Real Sporting 1:2 Rayo Vallecano
TC Barcelona 4:0 SD Eibar
Real Sociedad 1:2 Athletic Bilbao
UD las Palmas 1:2 Alaves
Celta Vigo 1:2 Sevilla
Villarreal CF 3:0 Real Valladolid
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 3 Results:
Olympique Lyon 1:0 FC Barcelona
Dortmund 2:2 RSC Anderlecht
SL Benfica 2:1 CSKA Moscow
Schalke 1:1 Manchester City
Sporting CP 0:1 PAOK
Torino 0:1 Tottenham Hotspur
Ajax 1:2 Bayern Munchen
Inter Milan 3:1 Spartak Moscow
Leverkusen 1:2 Real Madrid
PSG 3:0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Betis 1:2 Manchester United
Napoli 1:0 Galatasaray
Liverpool 4:0 FC Kobenhavn
Lokomotiv Moscow 1:1 Juventus
FC Porto 0:1 Atletico Madrid
AS Monaco 4:1 Dinamo Zagreb
RCD ESPANYOL 1:2 BESIKTAS JK
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Gary Medel scored the match winner as Besiktas earned full points on Thursday evening.
SCORING:
9' - (BJK) - C. Erkin
15' - (ESP) - T. Weah (Pen)
77' - (BJK) - G. Medel
DISCIPLINE:
21' - (ESP) - M. Diaz (Yellow)
41' - (ESP) - J. Calavera (Yellow)
42' - (ESP) - T. Fosu-Mensah (Red)
62' - (ESP) - A. Pedrosa (Yellow)
10/24/19
Barcelona (AP) - Fielding mainly their "B" team, Espanyol dropped a 2-1 decision to Besiktas JK on Thursday evening at RCDE Stadium on UEFA Europa League group stage match day three. Gary Medel scored late against an Espanyol team down a man to help Besiktas earn their first points of the Europa League campaign.
Besiktas JK got out in front in the opening minutes as Ricardo Quaresma raced down the right wing and crossed a ball across the front of the Espanyol goal. Caner Erkin settled the ball, then drilled it past Espanyol's backup keeper Arsene Soro, to put Besiktas up 1-nil.
In the 15th minute, Kenny Tete tackled Alex Lopez from behind in the penalty area. The foul would give Espanyol a penalty, but incredibly did not see Tete sent off. Timothy Weah calmly stepped up and placed it into the left corner to level the match.
Jordi Calavera picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute for a hard foul on Gokhan Tore. Moments late, Timothy Fosu-Mensah tackled Tore from behind and was sent off. Manager Raul Tamudo was incensed. Espanyol would have to play the final 48 minutes down a man.
Besiktas JK almost grabbed the lead just before halftime as Oguzhan Ozyakup one-timed a ball just inside the six yard box that Arsene Soro somehow deflected wide to keep the match level. Besiktas outshot Espanyol 9-1 in the opening 45 minutes and held a possession advantage.
The teams played a very conservative second half with a lot of midfield play. But as time wore one, Espanyol looked to wear down and Besiktas began to find open space. In the 77th minute, Gokhan Tore cracked a ball off the post. Soro dove and missed the ball, with the rebound falling right to the foot of unmarked Gary Medel. He tapped it in to give Besiktas the lead.
In the 86th minute, Espanyol midfielder Damia was pulled down in the Besiktas box with no call. Again, Espanyol players and coaches protested to no avail. Besiktas would hold on to earn the full three points and drop Espanyol to (2-0-1, 6 pts) and into a tie with Malmo FF atop the Group A table.
Besiktas outshot Espanyol 17-3, including 8-1 in shots on target.
Espanyol returns to La Liga action on Sunday as they travel to Girona.
2019-20 UEFA Europa League Match Day 3 Results:
Club Brugge 0:1 Malmo FF
Viktoria Plzen 1:1 TSG Hoffenheim
KAA Gent 2:0 Lech Poznan
FC Basel 0:2 Arsenal
Hertha Berlin 0:1 AS Saint-Etienne
Nottingham Forest 1:1 AC Milan
V. Guimaraes 3:0 Brondby IF
Panathinaikos 1:1 RB Leipzig
KRC Genk 1:1 Legia Warszawa
Basaksehir 0:0 Olympique Marsaille
Dynamo Kyiv 2:0 IF Elfsborg
SK Rapid Wien 1:1 Villarreal CF
AZ 4:1 FC Zurich
Rosenborg BK 1:2 Lazio
PSV 2:0 Santa Clara
Celtic 1:2 Chelsea
RB Salzburg 1:1 MKE Ankaragucu
BSC Young Boys 0:1 SC Braga
Standard Liege 2:0 AIK
Rangers 0:1 Roma
Feyenoord 2:0 Sparta Praha
Slavia Praha 1:1 Valencia CF
Fenerbahce 4:0 De Graafschap
GIRONA FC 0:1 RCD ESPANYOL
Estadio Montilivi (Capacity: 13,450)
Emmanuel Boateng would convert this penalty to send Espanyol on to victory.
SCORING:
71' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
10/27/19
Girona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol played a high charged match with Catalonian rival Girona FC on Sunday evening and with the help of the referee, came away with a 1-nil victory at Montilivi.
Johan Mojica was called for a controversial penalty in the 70th minute as he nudged Oscar Melendo at the edge of the penalty area. Emmanuel Boateng stepped up and struck the ball into the right corner to give Espanyol the lead, which they would hold onto to earn the full three points.
This was a very defensive match played in a light drizzle. Girona would outshoot Espanyol 9-6, but Espanyol had the better chances, with five of their six shots on target.
Girona's (1-1-8, 4 pts) best opportunity to score came in the 55th minute when Jairo got free at the top of the six, but his volley sailed just over the bar.
Espanyol (5-3-2, 18 pts) really controlled the midfield behind the return of Sergi Darder, from a toe injury, and Carles Alena. But they could not seem to find good positions to score. Estaban Ponce, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, had Espanyol's best opportunity to score before the Boateng penalty conversion. He ran onto a nice pass from Carles Alena and drilled a left footed shot just off the outside of the woodwork from outside the penalty area in the 66th minute.
The Periquitos return to action on Wednesday as they will host CF Rayo in the home tie of the Copa de Espana Round of 32. They return to La Liga action next Sunday as they host Atletico Madrid (7-1-2, 22pts) who sit atop the La Liga table, four points clear of 6th place Espanyol.
La Liga Match Day 10 Results:
Getafe 1:2 Real Sociedad
Real Madrid 2:1 RC Deportivo
Rayo Vallecano 0:2 Sevilla
Atletico Madrid 2:0 Celta Vigo
SD Eibar 1:0 UD Las Palmas
Real Valladolid 1:1 Real Betis
Alaves 1:1 Real Sporting
Valencia CF 0:1 FC Barcelona
Athletic Bilbao 2:3 Villarreal CF
RCD ESPANYOL 3:0 RAYO MAJADAHONDA
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Timothy Weah elevated to head home Espanyol's first goal.
SCORING:
29' - (ESP) - T. Weah
41' - (ESP) - Damia
83' - (ESP) - T. Weah
DISCIPLINE:
19' - (ESP) - M. Hermoso (Yellow)
36' - (MAJ) - I. Carcelen (Yellow)
10/31/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol cruised to a rather easy 3-nil victory over CF Rayo Majadahonda in Wednesday's home leg of their Copa de Espana Round of 32 tie. Young reserve striker Timothy Weah (United States) scored twice to help pace Espanyol to the victory.
Timothy Weah was the Man of the Match and for good reason. The 19-year-old was dominant in this one. In the 12th minute, he had a great chance to put Espanyol up, but his header off of a cross from Frank van der Meer hit hard off of the crossbar and caromed out. Weah then setup Mario Diaz in the 29th minute, but Diaz's shot was just deflected over the bar by keeper Basilio.
On the ensuing corner kick, Timothy Weah got on the end of the Diaz out swinger, and headed it home to put Espanyol on the board.
Midfielder Damia would double the Espanyol lead before halftime on a pretty pass from Alex Lopez. Damia spun at the top of the box, dribbled once and struck it low and into the lower right corner to make it 2-nil.
The Periquitos would extend their lead in the 83rd minute as Estaban Ponce passed to Pol Lozano, who sent a perfect through ball that Timothy Weah one-timed past Basilio to make it 3-nil.
Espanyol would outshoot Segunda Division side Rayo Majadahonda 12-6 with an 8-1 advantage of shots on target. Rayo Majadahonda currently sits in last place in Liga 1|2|3 with just four points after 11 matches. The second leg of this Round of 32 matchup with take place in Madrid in the first week of December.
Espanyol learned after the match that keeper Arsene Soro suffered a broken metatarsal during the match and will likely miss the next five weeks of action. They will return to La Liga action on Sunday as they will host first place Atletico Madrid.
Copa de Espana Round of 32 Results:
Rayo Vallecano 0:1 Real Zaragoza
Real Betis 4:0 Real Oviedo
Getafe CF 0:0 Deportivo Alaves
Atletico Madrid 1:1 Real Madrid
Cillarreal CF 3:0 CD Numancia
Girona FC 2:0 RCD Mallorca
Real SPorting 1:0 AD Alcorcon
Celta Vigo 2:0 Granada CF
Valencia CF 2:1 SD Huesca
Athletic Bilbao 1:2 Lebante UD
UD Las Palmas 2:0 Cadiz CF
Sevilla FC 0:0 RC Deportivo
SD Eibar 0:0 CA Osasuna
FC Barcelona 1:0 Malaga CF
Real Valladolid CF 0:1 Real Sociedad
RCD ESPANYOL 0:3 ATLETICO MADRID
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Thomas Lemar and Atletico Madrid appear to be the class of La Liga
SCORING:
45' - (ATM) - T. Lemar
54' - (ATM) - T. Lemar
58' - (ATM) - G. Moreno
DISCIPLINE:
29' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow)
45' - (ESP) - A. Lopez (Yellow)
57' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow/Red)
11/3/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - Espanyol faced an early season test on Sunday and failed miserably as first place Atletico Madrid took them apart in a 3-nil victory at RCDE Stadium. Thomas Lemar scored twice and Sergi Darder was sent off in the 57th minute after two yellow cards for rough tackles.
The first half was spent with both sides feeling each other out, and very few actual scoring chances. Atletico Madrid finally had a very good chance in the 445h minute as Antoine Griezmann intercepted a Carles Alena pass at the top of the box and sent a rocket in that Edu Frias somehow got a hand on deflect wide.
On the ensuing corner, Thomas Lemar outleaped Carles Alena at the top of the six yard box and headed home a corner from Gelson Martins to give Atletico a much deserved halftime lead. They outshot Espanyol 9-3 including a 6-0 advantage in shots on target.
Thomas Lemar would add to the Atletico lead just nine minutes into the second half as he dribbled in from the corner, and laced one into the top right corner to make it 2-nil.
Minutes later, Sergi Darder slid hard into Griezmann in the midfield and drew an obvious yellow card. It would be his second of the match and it sent him off. On the restart, Geovanni Moreno dribbled past Alex Lopez and struck a left footer past Edu Frias to make it 3-nil.
Atletico Madrid (8-1-2, 25 pts) look to be the class of La Liga so far and they did nothing to cast any doubts on Sunday. Espanyol (5-3-3, 18 pts) had a chance to get within a point of the leaders, but never really looked the part. They were outshot 18-6 and 12-2 in shots on target, while playing down a man the final 33 minutes.
"This is a young side, still trying to find their way," said manager Raul Tamudo afterwards. "We look forward to playing against top flight competition and I am confident that this side is going to become a fixture near the top of the table in La Liga and in Europe."
Espanyol will now travel to Istanbul to face a Besiktas side that defeated them at home 2-1 two weeks ago on Match Day 4 of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League group play.
La Liga Match Day 11 Results:
FC Barcelona 1:1 Real Madrid
Villarreal CF 3:0 Getafe CF
Real Betis 3:0 Athletic Bilbao
Celta Vigo 1:1 Rayo Vallecano
Real Sporting 0:0 SD Eibar
RC Deportivo 2:1 Real Valladolid CF
Real Sociedad 2:3 Girona
Sevilla 2:0 Alaves
UD Las Palmas 1:1 Valencia CF
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 4 Results:
FC Barcelona 2:0 Olympique Lyon
RSC Anderlecht 1:2 Dortmund
CSKA Moscow 2:2 SL Benfica
Manchester City 3:2 Schalke
Tottenham Hotspur 2:1 Torino
PAOK 1:1 Sporting CP
Spartak Moscow 1:0 Inter Milan
FC Bayern Munchen 4:1 Ajax
Real Madrid 1:0 Leverkusen
Shakhtar Donetsk 0:1 PSG
Manchester United 3:0 Real Betis
Galatasaray 1:1 Napoli
Juventus 3:1 Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Kobenhavn 1:1 Liverpool
BESIKTAS JK 2:0 RCD ESPANYOL
Vodafone Park (Capacity: 41,903)
Gary Medel scored again and was named your Man of the Match in Besiktas' victory.
SCORING:
30' - (BJK) - U. Nayir
85' - (BJK) - G. Medel
DISCIPLINE:
74' - (ESP) - S. Darder (Yellow)
87' - (ESP) - T. Weah (Yellow)
11/7/19
Istanbul, TUR (AP) - RCD Espanyol suddenly finds themselves in a bit of danger in the Europa League after a 2-nil loss on Thursday evening to Besiktas JK in damp Istanbul. Gary Medel scored for the second straight match against Espanyol as Besiktas drew even on points with six after four match days.
Besiktas JK would take the lead in the 30th minute after a giveaway by Theo Hernandez. Atiba Hutchinson then passed the pass into the box and Umut Nayir one timed it into the top left corner to give the home side a 1-nil advantage. Gary Medel had a chance to extend that lead just before halftime, but he headed one just wide off the side netting.
Timothy Weah volleyed one just over the bar on a perfect cross from Frank van der Meer in the 69th minute. It would be Espanyol's best chance to core all evening.
Gary Medel then put Espanyol away in the 85th minute as he headed one past Edu Frias on a cross from Jeremain Lens to make it 2-nil.
Besiktas JK outshot Espanyol 11-6, but they had 10 shots before halftime. Their lone shot in the second half was Medel's goal. The second consecutive shutout of Espanyol marks the first time that this has happened since Raul Tamudo took over the club at the beginning of 2018-19.
Through four match days, Group A has all four teams at (2-0-2, 6 pts). Espanyol will face Club Brugge at home on November 28th and travel to Malmo FF on December 12th. The club returns to La Liga competition on Sunday as they will host Celta Vigo.
2019-20 UEFA Europa League Match Day 4 Results:
Malmo FF 0:1 Club Brugge
TSG Hoffenheim 5:0 Viktoria Plzen
Lech Poznan 1:3 KAA Gent
Arsenal 3:1 FC Basel
AS Saint-Etienne 2:2 Hertha Berlin
AC Milan 3:0 Nottingham Forest
Brondby IF 1:1 V. Guimaraes
RB Leipzig 5:0 Panathinaikos
Legia Warszawa 1:3 KRC Genk
Olympique Marsaille 3:0 Basaksehir
IF Elfsborg 1:0 Dynamo Kyiv
Villarreal CF 2:1 SK Rapid Wien
FC Zurich 0:1 AZ
Lazio 3:1 Rosenborg BK
Santa Clara 1:1 PSV
Chelsea 1:1 Celtic
MKE Ankaragucu 1:0 RB Salzburg
SC Braga 4:1 BSC Young Boys
AIK 0:2 Standard Liege
Roma 2:0 Rangers
Sparta Praha 1:1 Feyenoord
Valencia CF 5:0 Slavia Praha
De Graafschap 0:1 Fenerbahce
RCD ESPANYOL 2:1 CELTA VIGO
RCDE Stadium (Capacity: 40,500)
Emmanuel Boateng scored twice as RCD Espanyol rallied to victory.
SCORING:
21' - (CEL) - B. Mendez
27' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
51' - (ESP) - E. Boateng
DISCIPLINE:
28' - (CEL) - D. Costas (Yellow)
42' - (ESP) - E. Ponce (Yellow)
11/11/19
Barcelona, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol used two goals from Emmanuel Boateng to rally from an early deficit to defeat Celta Vigo at RCDE Stadium on Monday evening. The victory moved Espanyol into sixth place in La Liga.
Celta Vigo took a surprising lead just 21 minutes in on a giveaway from Filipe Benkovic. Benkovic tried passing across the box to Theo Hernandez, and Brais Mendez intercepted his pass and hit a laser into the top left corner past a helpless Edu Frias to give the visitors the lead.
That lead was short lived though, as six minutes later it was Emmanuel Boateng. Marc Rosa passed the ball into Estaban Ponce, who one-timed a beautiful through ball to Boateng. He dribbled once and slipped it under Ivan Villar to level the match.
Early in the second half, Mario Diaz found Emmanuel Boateng near the top of the box. He unleashed a howitzer into the top left corner to put Espanyol up 2-1.
Jeremie Boga dribbled in from the left side in the 55th minute, and beat Villar between the legs, but his ball rolled just wide of the right post. Theo Hernandez cracked one over the bar in the 58th minute as Espanyol was just peppering Celta in the opening quarter hour of the second half.
Edu Frias would then come up huge in the 60th minute as he made a fantastic save on Emre Mor. Espanyol would lock it down defensively to hold on for full points. Celta did get one final great chance in injury time, but Iago Aspas' shot sailed just over the bar from about 20 yards out.
Espanyol (6-3-3, 21 pts) outshot Celta 15-6 and dominated possession. Up next is a trip to Basque Country and San Sebastian to take on Real Sociedad (4-1-7, 13 pts).
La Liga Match Day 12 Results:
SD Eibar 1:2 Sevilla
Real Madrid 1:2 UD Las Palmas
Getafe 0:1 Real Betis
Atletico Madrid 3:0 Real Sociedad
Valencia CF 2:1 Real Sporting
Athletic Bilbao 1:2 RC Deportivo
Alaves 2:0 Rayo Vallecano
Real Valladolid 1:1 FC Barcelona
Girona 0:3 Villarreal CF
REAL SOCIEDAD 0:3 RCD ESPANYOL
Estadio de Aneota (Capacity: 25,000)
Jermaine Boga and friends celebrate a win over Real Sociedad.
SCORING:
56' - (ESP) - J. Boga
70' - (ESP) - V. Sanchez
84' - (ESP) - T. Weah
DISCIPLINE:
NONE
11/24/19
San Sebastian, Basque, ESP (AP) - RCD Espanyol took to the road and turned out a dominating performance in a 3-nil victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday afternoon. Three second half goals broke open a tight match and sent Espanyol to their second straight La Liga victory.
Tim Weah blew a glorious chance in the opening moments of the match as Oscar Melendo sent in a pass to an open Weah in the box, but unmarked, he hit it over the bar.
Real Sociedad returned the favor in the 16th minute when Andrea Favilli got open at the top of the six with Edu Frias out of position, but his volley skipped just wide. The teams would go to the break scoreless and even on shots at 4-4.
After Tim Weah setup a Carles Alena miss in the 50th minute, Espanyol finally broke through in the 56th minute. Sergi Darder dribbled into the box, then passed it to Jeremie Boga, who roofed it to give Espanyol the lead. Carles Alena setup Victor Sanchez in the 70th minute for Espanyol's second goal. Sanchez, making a surprising start, rewarded Raul Tamudo, by scoring his first goal on the campaign.
Timothy Weah would put a cap on this one with a goal in off the right post in the 84th minute. Sergi Darder passed it into Jeremie Boga, who dribbled it into the box, then dropped it back for the trailing Weah, who put it in off the post.
Espanyol (7-3-4, 24 pts) moved up to fifth position in La Liga with the victory. Real Sociedad (4-1-8, 13 pts) dropped to 15th place. Up next for Espanyol is a huge Europa League match on Thursday at home against Club Brugge.
La Liga Match Day 13 Results:
Villarreal CF 0:1 Atletico Madrid
Real Sporting 1:1 Real Madrid
Real Betis 3:0 Girona
Sevilla 1:0 Valencia CF
UD Las Palmas 1:2 Real Valladolid
Rayo Vallecano 1:2 SD Eibar
Celta Vigo 1:1 Alaves
FC Barcelona 3:1 Athletic Bilbao
RC Deportivo 1:1 Getafe CF
2019-20 UEFA Champions League: Match Day 5 Results:
FC Barcelona 2:0 RSC Anderlecht
Olympique Lyon 1:1 Dortmund
Manchester City 1:0 CSKA Moscow
Schalke 1:1 SL Benfica
Torino 1:2 Sporting CP
Tottenham Hotspur 3:1 PAOK
Ajax 1:1 Inter Milan
Bayern Munchen 2:1 Spartak Moscow
Real Madrid 2:0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Leverkusen 1:0 PSG
Manchester United 4:1 Galatasaray
Real Betis 0:1 Napoli
Juventus 4:0 FC Kobenhavn
Lokomotiv Moscow 1:1 Liverpool
FC Porto 1:1 AS Monaco
Atletico Madrid 3:0 Dinamo Zagreb