Fernando Calero returned to the starting line-up through the front door, Leandro Cabrera redeemed himself with a goal and a remarkable performance and even Adrià Pedrosa, incisive from the left, produced another outstanding game. Espanyol’s defense had its big day against Getafe. It was his turn after 97 nights without leaving a clean sheet: the last time it was achieved was on November 28 against Real Sociedad (1-0).
Since then, the goals have been falling to Diego López. Of corner kicks, counterattacks, lateral centers and individual forgetfulness, worrying symptoms that made the Blue and Whites fall into a well from which they found a way out. “It is a very important victory, we give an answer to what happened in Villarreal. We played some games where we didn’t compete very well, but now we’re happy, the effort is important”said Cabrera, who pointed out that the team showed “rage, desire to fight and redeem himself”.
The Uruguayan central defender completed his diagnosis of the game and acknowledged that the team had “more difficult times, but we were together and we knew how to overcome them. In the second half we did it spectacular ”, he warned. Apart from Cabrera’s goal from a corner (“We are not the highest team, but Dani Pendín does a beastly job”), Calero was the surprise player in the lineup and at the same time the most outstanding.
The central Valladolid, that he had not started since January 21 against Betis and that this campaign he had only participated in 212 minutes, starred in a solvent game in defense, with up to six recoveries, seven clearances, two innings won and two other interceptions. Espanyol recovered its solvency in area defense although at times He sweated on the right side of Óscar Gil and, later, Aleix Vidalbut he managed to prevent Diego López from having a job: Getafe only shot on goal three times.