After being left without options for direct promotion due to the draw against the SD Amorebieta in Lezama On matchday 41, the RCD Espanyol today received a visit from FC Cartagena to play the last day of LaLiga Hypermotion. The parakeet team has come to the game with the fans in the shadows and knowing that they are being looked at with a magnifying glass. With cries of “management, resignation”, a game began with many changes of players and positions in the lineup, being a clear prologue of what was going to be seen in the game.
Slogan: Balls in the pot!
First minutes of nervousness, where the RCD Espanyol He had the ball, but with haste in his passes. First Alvaro Aguado and later on Keidi Bare They have looked for long balls, ending in nothing and offering goal kicks. In the 10th minute the first clear chance of the game arrived. Oscar Gil has managed to put a center from the right connecting with Martin Braithwaitewho was able to finish off a half Chilean and managed to put the team in real trouble. Lizoaingoalkeeper of Cartagenawhich he sent for a corner kick.
Manolo Gonzalez He has used a very aggressive tactical disposition, looking for very open flankers to live in the opponent’s field. Furthermore, in the middle of the field he has used a square with Keidi Bare and Alvaro Aguado further behind and, ahead, Javi Puado and Rafa Bauzaleaving in point Martin Braithwaite. This tactical arrangement was widely used in ‘B’ a few months ago, when the coach of Lugo He directed the subsidiary.
With the whistles and chants of the fans expressing the “directive, resignation”, in the 27th minute the first warning came from the FC Cartagena. A ball leaked from the left wing connected with the striker Ortuñostaying alone in front of Joan Garciabut the play was invalidated due to offside.
The F.C. Cartagena He had taken another step and started to have the ball a little more. Already in the 33rd minute, a ball lost by Rafa Bauza on the edge of the area has been found by Mustowhich has filtered for Ortuñoand this one has been left alone against Joan Garciawhere he made a break and the goalkeeper Perico made a possible penalty, but it was annulled due to previous offside.
There was anxiety in the game and there were no plays with efficient connections. It has all been meaningless centers and losing opportunities due to bad decisions. The only one who has tried it has been the Danish striker Martin Braithwaite that in the 38th minute he had the clearest chance of the match. A ball from the right wing – in another center – reached the Dane, who feinted and hit the goalkeeper’s short post, hitting the ball against the post. This has been the clearest of the game. He Spanish He has dedicated himself to putting balls into the pot – counting about 14 balls – without having anyone to finish off. First part where the best thing was the shouts to the box.
Another mentality in the second half
This second half started a little better with the entrance to the field of Nico Melamed. In the first five minutes two parakeet corner kicks were taken and one of them almost scored as an Olympic goal – executed by Pere Milla-. Maybe it has to do with why FC Cartagena, in these first stages of the second half, has decided to take a step forward and try to play more one-on-one. However, it did not last long. In 55′, Salvi Sanchez He made a play on the right wing, placing a low cross and connecting with Javi Puadowho finished first with his left leg, managing to beat the Cartagena goalkeeper.
Immediately afterwards, the Spanish has continued to go up. Salvi Sanchez -more active- has once again had an individual play, where he has sought filtering without much success. Minutes later, Nico Melamed has received a ball and has placed a center-shot where Javi Puado He did not want to finish it alone on goal, although the play was invalidated due to previous offside.
With the entry of Melamed, the team has had another color and another charisma. He has attacked more and the parakeet team has been noticed to be somewhat more stable. Furthermore, with the changes and the entry of Pol Lozano and Jofre Carreraswe have sought to give the team more speed, but it has been difficult because the FC Cartagena He has also had his own. In 62′, Ivan Calero has finished off the short post of Joan Garcia and, in 67′, Ortuño He finished with power from the top, saving the ball from the Perico goalkeeper, who managed to send it to a corner kick.
Fastest match in the second half
Jofre Carreras, Javi Puado and Nico Melamed They have given more speed to the game in this final stretch. The youth players have combined without finishing plays. Likewise, as the FC Cartagena He has gone behind on the scoreboard, he has tried to play the ball more, offering more space. So much so that, in 82′, a good pressure from Leandro Cabrera in the rival field, has offered an error by the defender of the Cartagenagiving a back pass and being intercepted by Martin Braithwaite, who was left alone in front of the goalkeeper and beat him without much problem, chipping the ball a little. The Danish striker has scored his 22nd goal in this Hypermotion League and he has managed to bring his team back to life after a completely resounding first half that was unworthy of the shield they wore on their chest.
In the final minutes there was a last post. In the 88th minute, an individual play by Jofre Carreras has found in the second line Nico Melamed, who hit the ball with quality and was unable to score the third goal because he encountered the post. Of course, in the discount, Nico Melamed has not forgiven and, after a backheel pass Jofre Carrerashas beaten Raul Lizoain to put the final 3-0 on the scoreboard. Furthermore, when everything seemed to be finished, Martin Braithwaite He scored a goal, but it was disallowed and, subsequently, the referee whistled the end of the match.
He Spanish He did his job by winning the match, but there was no luck in being third – the SD Eibar He has won his match against Real Oviedo (4-3)- in the classification and already waiting for the Sporting Gijón for the promotion playoff.
Data sheet
RCD Espanyol: Joan Garcia; Óscar Gil, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Pere Milla (Jofre Carreras, 62′); Rafa Bauza (Nico Melamed, 45′), Álvaro Aguado (Pol Lozano, 62′), Keidi Bare, Salvi Sánchez (Sergi Gómez, 74′); Javi Puado (José Carlos Lazo, 82′), Martín Braithwaite
FC Cartagena: Raúl Lizoain; Iván Calero, Pedro Alcalá, Kiko Olivas, José Fontán (Darío, 62′); Tomás Alarcón, Damián Musto (Jonathan Carmona, 76′), Andy Rodríguez; Jairo Izquierdo (Diego M., 62′), Luis Muñoz (Narváez, 62′), Alfredo Ortuño (Juan Carlos, 76′)
Goals: 1-0 Javi Puado (55′), 2-0 Martin Braithwaite (83′), 3-0 Nico Melamed (92′)
Referee: Óliver De La Fuente Ramos (valladolid referee)
Yellow cards: Fernando Calero (53′),
Incidents: Stage Front Stadium. 19,029 spectators.
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