Approved and failed: the Ballon d’Or makes Espanyol happy

Diego Lopez: The Galician was essential, who already made a double stop in the first half in the 8th minute and multiplied in the second half to avoid a 0-1 draw. He was safe from above, good with his feet and solvent when stopping Celta’s chances. The 40-year-old goalkeeper was the best along with Darder of the parakeet team.

Oscar Gil: Good game for the winger, who confirms his best settlement in the team after overcoming his physical problems. On a defensive level, he controlled Galán, covered the deepest centers and was focused on area defense. In attack, the ilicitinao put a goal ball to RdT, who failed to finish off with skill, and he made two individual actions in which he lacked the precise center.

Calero: In the line of the last five games, without mistrust after the penalty he committed and was decisive against Real. The Valladolid player was good in the ball out, tough in one-on-ones (he saw a yellow card) and attentive in area defense and corrections, like several actions in which he had, especially in the second half, to avoid shots of a Celtic upright.

Cabrera: The Uruguayan made two changes of direction, one to Embarba and the other to Óscar Gil, which meant an advantage and an opportunity for the parakeets. Good when he defended close to the area, more vulnerable when he defended in the open especially with the mobility of Iago Aspas. But generally solvent.

Perdrosa: Inaccurate in the crosses, especially in the first half, but solid in defense. Always attentive at the far post, forceful in defensive actions, the winger put on a good game from midfield to the back and lacked precision in the last meters to assist the parakeet points.

Keidi Bare: As essential correcting his teammates as dangerous with some losses in the construction of the play that caused clear counterattacks for Celta. He received a yellow card for an aggressive tackle and was substituted before the 70th minute. It was not the best match for the Albanian.

yangel herrera: The Venezuelan made a two-sided game. Passive in defensive actions, especially in activation after loss, even imprecise in some passes. However, he stepped on the area and his unchecking, taking advantage of the spaces left by RdT, created danger. And his collaboration in the pressure of 1-0 was essential.

Darder: Again the differential player. Apart from setting the pace of Espanyol’s attack, giving clarity with his passes to the plays, in the first half he carried out an action that Iniesta could well have signed, in which his driving with a double dribble could have ended in 1-0 although his pass was not accurate. He received multiple fouls and got angry with the referee for the criteria when it came to getting yellow cards. He gave the assist, now nine, to Wu Lei.

Embarba: Much more involved in defensive tasks than in the first part of the season, the winger was participative, he took endless fouls in the duel with Galán, but he lacked precision in the combinations and the crosses he attempted.

RdT: He had barely trained one day during the week, and the striker was offline. He only shot once, very far from the goal in a complicated shot resulting from a bad decision, since the man from Madrid was alone or could control. He played between the lines but was not excessively comfortable.

Puado: He had the clearest chance of the match. A rejection by Dituro shot by Wu Lei who, with the goal empty, was not able to arm his leg in time to get it inside. The Catalan lamented, aware that it was time to take the three points. Curiously, Puado weaved the action through the center of the attack, despite the fact that he played the entire match on the left, where he was not successful in the diagonals, but generous as always in the defensive effort, as in the pressure that began in the 1 -0.

Wu Lei: He played on the right and was able to put the icing on the cake of some exciting weeks in which he was chosen, for the third time, the Chinese Ballon d’Or. Although his first two actions were wrong, which raised the whistles, he later created two dangerous chances. One was taken out by Dituro. Another went inside. Explosion of joy of the Chinese striker, unprecedented throughout the course.

vilhena: The Dutch winger put on his overalls in defense and gave depth down the left. He made a bad decision after a pass from RdT that left him in a clear position to finish off, but he put in several crosses and collaborated with his participation in the game.

David Lopez: He was barely able to contribute in two minutes of play.

Aleix Vidal: He played two minutes.