Diego López, king of the deck

Wanted the Spanish quickly resolve their pass to the second round against the Ponferradina, and ran into the saying. Dress me slowly I’m in a hurry. Had it done since minute 4, with a goal from Pedrosa, and until 88‘, when a controversial penalty awarded by Del Cerro Grande magnified the yuri’s legend in El Toralín, sustained in extra time by a wise Sergi Puig and resolved in the shoot by the other goalkeeper, Diego López, who stopped up to two maximum penalties to give the parakeets the pass to the second round of the Copa del Rey.

Against all odds, and even encouraging Oier to burn his wings before resuming flight, Vicente Moreno entered with all. In fact, reasons were not lacking. Because he had warned that he did not trust Ponfe. Because in Palencia, in the previous tie, plan A already had to come to the rescue of plan B. And because it was allowed by a calendar that does not place the next game, against Elche in LaLiga, until next Monday.

All headlines from Diego López to Raúl de Tomás, it was the ‘top scorer’ who out of the corner of his eye waited for the incorporation of Pedrosa to give him the ball and let the side, one of the mainstays of the great first round of the league, score 0-1 at four minutes.

Espanyol was going to work, yes, but a Ponferradina was not intimidated that, except at the goal, also pulled regulars. And with the sanctioned Naranjo, Espiau and Copete. The most repeated duel in the first half was that of the 79 years, those that Yuri and Diego add, with whom the Brazilian ran into. Although, to hit with the Galician, that of Sergi Enrich, who precipitated his replacement.

Far from accusing him, Ojeda’s entrance gave another air to Deportiva, which in the resumption was emboldened. With a rejection that Paul Anton was able to turn to gold. With a shot from Cristian from the front. And with two consecutive occasions at game time, Espiau and de Naranjo, who demanded an inspired Diego López. Rush that opened spaces for Puado and Raúl de Tomás, first, and then for Jofre.

But he had not said his last word, much less the Ponferradina, nor had he From Cerro Grande, who was reunited with Espanyol after that controversial refereeing at the Camp Nou, with a disputed penalty that gave the victory to Barcelona. This time, without the help of the VAR, he also decreed a maximum penalty, equally controversial, because Sergi Gómez’s grip on Yuri was questionable and because the Brazilian started from offside.

Yuri did not miss in the 88th minute to score the tie, nor in the addition for avoid the 1-2 of Espanyol, of Dimata in a header, on the same goal line. The revulsive Belgian could not emulate his goal at 10.2 seconds in El Toralín in May, but he did try to settle the tie in extra time. And he ran into Sergi Puig. Just like Jofre.

Thus, until the penalty shootout. With Diego providencial against Zalazar and Saverio, while the parakeet pitchers did not fail. No prize for the Ponferradina in the year of its centenary. With the first pass to the second round in seven years for Espanyol.