From Anduva to Villamarín

What the added time takes you away, the added time gives it to you. In a week marked by the complaints of Espanyol before the ten minutes in which the game against Atlético de Madrid was prolonged, and that they reported a defeat, he added a point on the horn at Benito Villamarín. In 97'46 “, the minute Leandro Cabrera, who joined as improvised 'nine' in the final stretch of a chaotic match of the parrots, run over in excess by a Betis that deserved much more, who did not know how to sentence and who was left with ten for the just expulsion of Germán Pezzella. For game, justice and result, This 2-2 can be compared to the one that last season was a turning point on the road to promotion of those of Vicente Moreno. On Anduva, before the Mirandés. And with Nico Melamed as nexus.

Because Espanyol scored a before and after in those seconds about the 40th minute in which it went from a 0-2 sung that Adrián Embarba forgave to 1-1, the result of a mismatch between Cabrera first and Adrià Pedrosa later, which would give a lot to talk about, were it not for the disastrous two against one of Embarba and Pedrosa in action at 1-2, against Héctor Bellerín, and again in an addition –this of the first part–. Those two goals, proper names on the sidelines, did nothing but bare a sometimes robust defensive system –No goals conceded in the first two matchdays–, and at other times inconsistent like a sugar dipped in water. The omen of this had been the incredible transfer of Óscar Gil, without even looking at Diego López, when only three minutes had been played.

Almost as alarming as the defensive cracks, which cost Espanyol a comeback and two of the three points at stake, was the team's own script. With the same approach that Vicente Moreno offered against Atlético, and that stripped Diego Simeone's men of the ball and danger throughout the first half, this time Manu Morlanes was only seen to see a yellow one, while Sergi Darder and Óscar Melendo could not bring out the magic at any time of their top hats.

From fragility to lack of control

Only with claws it worked in attack the parakeet set, and so on It's just how I made the 0-1: Pedrosa's voracious recovery, remarkable driving and assistance from Raúl de Tomás and efficiency from former Sevilla player Aleix Vidal arriving from the second row, when between the RdT itself, Darder and Embarba had dragged the defenders. It certainly did not help to alleviate that lack of control in the center of the field change of system registered by Moreno in the resumption, back to 4-4-2, with Keidi Bare to add aggressiveness and Loren Morón to give a more goal to Espanyol that just needed someone to transport the ball with discretion between those two points.

And, even despite the visible superiority of Betis, and its siege at times on Diego López's goal, Vicente Moreno's game plan in that second half full of interruptions –especially, after that 'tattoo' by Germán Pezzella on Aleix Vidal's shin that gave the Argentinean the red one– I was not carrying a bloodletting. At least not on the scoreboard. To the point that came alive to the last bars, with Loren as close to the goal as to the infraction – an offside, a foul … – fruit of his logical anxiety to score a crucial goal, at his own home and with another shirt.

Cabrera's goal in 97'46 ”, award for the courage of Nico Melamed, the cold blood of Keidi Bare and the unsuccessful attempt of the newly admitted Nany Dimata, may outline a future somewhat brighter than that held by defeat. However, you should not hide the gaps in a Espanyol choppy in attack, disorderly in the spinal cord and, above all, tremendously vulnerable in defense. And that still does not add a single victory after the fifth day. Maybe Villamarín is your new Anduva …