Without Martin Braithwaite, the man who usually plays the festive music in Cornellà, Espanyol went deaf. The melody was attractive, but Manolo González’s team was completely out of tune before the goal. And when he found him, at the very end, he couldn’t keep his advantage. The parakeet team was a rookie in their own stadium in a key match for their direct promotion options. But good intentions and enormous commitment were not enough to win and the point is, after all, a huge step backwards. [See the results of the Hypermotion League].
Six youth players in the eleven, and five more on the bench, was Manolo González’s letter of introduction on his first day at the Stage Front Stadium. This bet was favored by numerous casualties, the most important being that of Braithwaite. The forward suffered a sprained knee and could be available for next game.
After an agonizing victory in Zaragoza, Tenerife seemed a more favorable rival. It was an unbeatable moment to win, but also to see González’s idea further developed. And he did not disappoint Espanyol, the absolute protagonist of the match in the first half.
Arrivals were common, but opportunities were rare. The clearest before the intermission was for Puado, who took a step forward last night in the absence of Braithwaite. The youth player cut inside the area and tried a shot with a thread to the opposite post that Soriano took advantage of to show off with a very timely hand.
Espanyol deserved much more, but neither the chances nor the goals came. Yes the nerves. González decided to undo the double defensive pivot to bring Melamed and Aguado together on the field, and the team redoubled its intentions. The one from Casteldefells did not take long to leave his mark with great technical actions.
And Espanyol turned and turned more and more. Aguado had the goal with a shot from the front. Also Gastón Valles, who replaced Baldé. On the umpteenth arrival to the area between Víctor Ruiz and Gragera they scored a goal that made Cornellà explode with joy. But it was not like that, because immediately afterwards, Sergio González equalized on a corner very poorly defended by Víctor Ruiz. The tie leaves the entity touched. Espanyol is moving away from the dream of direct promotion. If he is not able to add three by three at home, he will not be able to escape his sentence.
Espanyol: Joan García, El Hilali, Sergi Gómez (Kenneth 79), Víctor Ruiz, Cabrera, Gragera, Pol Lozano (Melamed 59), Aguado (Pere Milla 79), Jofre, Puado and Keita Baldé (Gastón Valles 71).
Coach: Manolo González.
Tenerife: Juan Soriano, Mellot, Sergio González, León, Nacho, Alexandre (Sipsic 75), Bodiger, Waldo (Teto 75), Luismi Cruz (Álvaro Romero 86), Ángel (Rahmani 86) and Enric Gallego (Buñuel 66).
Coach: Asier Garitano.
Estadio: Stage Front Stadium (21,159 spectators).
Referee: Orellana Cid (Andalusian school).
Yellow: Keita Baldé, Cabrera, Nacho, Bodiger, El Hilali, Jofre, Alexandre, Rahmani.
Goals: 1-0 Gragera (84). 1-1 Sergio González (90)
