Pass and fail: the unexpected hero saves Espanyol

Joan Garcia: The goalkeeper played as a starter for the second game in a row in the Cup and had less work than in Solares. He only received two shots on goal, and the first of them was a goal. He couldn’t push himself any further after Frodo’s near-small-area header. The rest of the meeting was spent as a spectator.

Miguelón: The winger accumulated 90 minutes again. He suffered in the second half with Edu’s internships, but completed a remarkable encounter. Providencial to scrape a ball to Frodo that left him alone before Joan and sharp in attack but without success in the centers. He gave, yes, a goal ball to Melendo that repelled the defense. It was more extreme than lateral.

Calero: The central player has no luck. In the first half he filtered good passes between the lines, especially to Morlanes and Melendo. In the second half he suffered in some counterattacks with balls to his back and was replaced by noticing discomfort in the back of the thigh.

Cabrera: The center-back committed, by touching the ball with his hand, the foul in minute 5 that Frodo’s goal gave. He accumulated the 90 minutes, he fulfilled in defensive tasks. It was not too demanding. Dangerously finished a corner but went high. He gave the team character in bad times. Always talking.

Didac: The winger played very nervous. He saw a yellow at the end and played aggressive in defense, with some excessive action. In attack, the side was a dagger. Not very successful at times, but precise at others, such as a header and a shot that almost became a goal. He focused without fortune.

Morlanes: The midfielder always offered and tried to give criteria to the game. He claimed more presence inside his teammates, tried some dangerous throwing and was the helmsman of the parakeet attacks during the 90 minutes. The best player on the field.

Merida: He was substituted in minute 58 by Darder. Soft when facing Frodo at 1-0. He tried to play with Loren and Wu Lei on his back without success. He did not claim in the minutes he played.

Wu Lei: At 15 minutes, the Chinese striker accumulated two shots on goal. It was Loren de Solares, but without success. He found it 20 seconds after the break. The player finished off with his left after a good clearance at the near post, a cross from Loren. He was replaced. He keeps making a lot of technical errors, especially in the controls.

Melendo: He had situations to make last passes or to define, but he was imprecise. He moved well between the lines but his performance was misguided this time unlike in Solares.

Embarba: He did not hide and sought prominence, on the left and right. In the first half he launched a dangerous free kick that ended in a corner, but failed to unbalance in the one on one. He started the second half manufacturing the 1-1 play and then he was replaced.

Loren: His outside center to Wu Lei at 1-1 was his best production of a gray game in which he missed a goal sung at the far post, without a goalkeeper, in the first half and then he did not stand out either in the inside game or In the area. The clarity with which it was handled in Solares was today darkness.

Darder: The midfielder saw a yellow for a dangerous tackle and leaked with the second. Protagonist in the center of 1-2 and with several shots that were about to sentence the match. It gave strength to the midfield and that necessary jump in quality.

Puado: The winger, who came from scoring two goals against Levante, had chances starting from the left wing to score, like a clear shot from a defender from Palencia. He moved between the lines and contributed to the comeback being achieved.

Aleix Vidal: He played in his position, the far right. He reached the baseline in danger and again showed his clarity when deciding who to cross. He tried a free throw that went over the crossbar.

Svensson: It did not have too much incidence, although its entrance broke the midfield, it opened the meeting, but it supposed more danger.

Sergi Gomez: He was the savior. A minute after leaving, he scored after a Darder cross that Dídac played first. Unexpected hero.