La Liga
Espanyol
Jan 18, 2013 8.00pm
3
2
HT : 1 2
FT
Mallorca
  • Simão 16' goal
  • Verdú 27' yellowcard
  • Juan Forlin 39' yellowcard
  • Verdú 68' goal
  • Raúl Baena 83' goal
  • Francisco Casilla 90' yellowcard
  • Sergio Tejera 90' yellowcard
  • goal Giovani Dos Santos 35'
  • goal Javier Moreno Marquez 42'
  • yellowcard Antonio Luna 45'
  • yellowcard Tomer Hemed 80'
  • redcard Antonio Luna 81'

Live Commentary: Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca - as it happened

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Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca - as it happened
© AP Photos

Espanyol hosted Mallorca in a vital clash at the bottom of the La Liga table this evening.

Mallorca went into half time ahead after goals from Giovani dos Santos and Javi Marquez overturned a Simao free kick.

However, the hosts responded with a second-half fightback with a Joan Verdu penalty and a late winner from Raul Baena.

Read below how the action unfolded with our live commentary.

9.57pmThanks for joining me tonight. That's all from me, but look out for my analysis piece that will be on site before 8.30pm. Good night.
9.56pmWell, it could have gone the other way but Espanyol take a crucial three points in an exciting game! They turned around a first-half deficit to take the points.
90+5 minFULL-TIME! Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca
90+4 minCHANCE! Oh dear again! It's a miss from six yards out and the whistle goes from the goal kick! Nunes that time.
90+4 minOne last chance for Mallorca with a deep free-kick...
90+3 minYELLOW CARD! Still time for another booking. Tejera gets one for delaying the game, as does his goalkeeper Casilla. I've completely lost count now. Some have been so pointless.
90+2 minCHANCE! Longo should have settled it there. He's through one-on-one but hits it straight at the goalkeeper. Still a tough save, but there's not excuses for missing that.
90+1 minMallorca doing most of the passing now, with a bit more urgency, but Espanyol are doing a good job of slowing it down. One of the Espanyol coaching staff has been sent off now.
90 minFive minutes of time added on. Enough for an equaliser, certainly. Can Mallorca muster one?
90 minBitty now this game. Fouls from both sides disrupting the flow. The referee has for my liking been too keen to stop the play. Garcia comes off now, with Sergio Tejera taking his place.
87 minDos Santos still looks lively. I'd say he's been the best player on the park tonight, but he might be about to end up on the losing side.
86 minA little under five minutes of normal time remain now. It'll require every ounce of determination for Mallorca to get anything now.
84 minIt's cruel on the visitors but the home pressure has paid off. A couple of shots from the edge of the box are blocked, the second falling nicely to Baena from the edge of the six-yard box who prods home. It should be 3-2 Mallorca, but instead the home side lead. That could settle it.
83 minGOAL! Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca (Baena)
82 minColotto has a great chance on the byline to cut it back into danger but he gets too much on the cross and it ends safe. Still Espanyol come forward.
81 minRED CARD! Luna is sent off for his second bookable offence. He brought down Garcia and it was a fair enough yellow card. His second, so he's walking - eventually after much protestation. That could change this.
80 minYELLOW CARD! Hemed is booked after the act after a tug back in midfield. The referee initially played the advantage.
79 minNeat football involving Verdu and Simao but they can't beat Colotto.
78 minStill Espanyol pressing. Verdu tries with a cutback to Garcia, but he just can't latch on to it. Another change for the visitors as Marquez comes off for Pep Marti.
75 minNow Espanyol coming back into it with some good passing. That miss seems to have knocked the stuffing out of Mallorca just a bit.
72 minTomer Hemed is on for Garcia.
72 minCHANCE! Oh. My. Word. That is a sitter! Marquez clips over the top to Dos Santos, who cuts across to the unmarked Víctor Casadesus and he skies it over from five yards! Oh dear.
70 minIt's been a solid response from Mallorca after the equaliser. They're back on the ball and passing it around nicely.
68 minWell, what a weird penalty to give away. Nunes sort of slipped and ended up behind Longo, who fell over him. Verdu dispatches it eight into the edge of the side netting for the equaliser. Game on.
67 minGOAL! Espanyol 2-2 Mallorca (Verdu)
66 minPENALTY TO ESPANYOL! Nunes bundles over Longo there but I think he slipped. I think it has to be given.
66 minCHANCE! At one end Dos Santos almost latches on to a defensive error before Longo turns on the edge of the box and Mino makes a good save. Series of corners for the hosts here.
65 minIt's all kicking off here. Really not being played in good spirits. Pina gives away a free-kick then elbows I think Verdu in the face. Shocking that and he's lucky to be on the pitch!
63 minEspanyol bossing this in terms of possession but that Moreno header remains the only real chance. A deep cross is nodded down by Simao, but Mallorca clear.
61 minAouate can't continue after all and Ruben Mino comes on for him. He;s disappeared down the tunnel before he comes on, though. What's going on?
59 minLongo attempts a flailing bicycle kick, but makes no contact whatsoever. Despite that, he has looked lively this half.
58 minLooking at it again Moreno was only about five yards out as he met Simao's corner. He could have done a lot better.
57 minOFF THE BAR! From the corner Moreno meets it and rattles the face of the bar. Aouate is writhing in agony for some reason. His own player Nunez stood on his foot as the 'keeper tried to move and that's a twisted knee. Could be nasty but I think he might be ok.
55 minSuperb bit of control from Verdu then, Longo - on at half-time - tries to work space but Espanyol defend well. The Italian tries the left this time and wins a corner.
52 minNo chances as yet in this half. The teams are sharing spells of possession and Espanyol are starting to look the most threatening. The referee goes down in the box! But he doesn't appeal, all is well.
50 minSome good passing now from the hosts, but Mallorca stay compact and eventually Luna clears for a throw.
48 minEspanyol struggling to get a touch in these opening four minutes. Mallorca playing just as they'd have hoped.
47 minThe men in red are looking sharp on the counter, which I expect will be the story of the second half.
46 minHow can the home side respond at the start of this half? Mallorca will surely make themselves tough to break down with this lead.
45 minMallorca get us back underway.
9.02pmJust a couple of minutes now until the restart.
9.01pmFive minutes before the break they were level with former Espanyol man Marquez scoring a low effort from way out. There were bodies in front of Casilla and he couldn't keep it out.
8.59pmAfter that, Mallorca responded well. They started to get into the game with some neat passing and Dos Santos curled in the equaliser from an angle.
8.57pmThe opening goal was a fantastic free-kick by Simao. At first glance I thought Aouate was a bit slow getting to it, but it was just fantastic placement.
8.53pmAs it stands, Mallorca have lifted themselves out of the bottom three. There's an entire half left, however, and you suspect Espanyol will look to respond early in the second half.
8.51pmWell, after a slow start that turned into a gripping half. It took a good 10-15 minutes for anything to be created, with Espanyol dominating possession before their goal and Mallorca responding magnificently.
45+2 minHALF-TIME! Espanyol 1-2 Mallorca
45+1 minAouate dominates two crosses in quick succession with decent punches. Good goalkeeping, the sort of thing you see all the time in La Liga.
45 minYELLOW CARD! Luna goes into the box for bringing down Lopez. Two minutes will be added on and the first is nearly up.
44 minInto the last minute of the half. Can Espanyol get back into this before the break? They were comfortable for 35 minutes, but find themselves behind.
43 minThat goal came from a corner, which was won after a phenomenal back-heel attempt from Dos Santos that Casilla flicked round the post. The visitors are well on top.
42 minMarquez, the former Espanyol man, has scored here from fully 35 yards. He drilled it low and Casilla must have seen it late to let it in. Suddenly Mallorca have turned it around!
41 minGOAL! Espanyol 1-2 Mallorca (Marquez)
40 minThe free-kick is an absolutely shocking delivery, and Dos Santos rejoins play. I think I saw them putting on a mask to protect his face, but I might be wrong there.
38 minYELLOW CARD! Forlin clatters into Dos Santos's face with a shoulder barge. It wasn't intentional I don't think, but the contact was fierce and the medical team are straight on. Potential cheek and nose damage it seems.
37 minNow Mallorca are pressing up the field a little more, putting the previously comfortable Espanyol under some pressure. The goal has livened them up.
36 minIn truth that's all Mallorca have created in 35 minutes, but if you can finish like that you'll finish more than you'll miss.
35 minWell, after Baena had a shot hit at the keeper, Mallorca go up the other end. Dos Santos deemed just onside and he advances to the right side of the box before curling round Casilla. Great finish.
34 minGOAL! Espanyol 1-1 Mallorca (Dos Santos)
33 minCHANCE! Verdu tries to get on the end of a corner, but Mallorca clear to the edge of the box as far as Capdevila. He slashes his effort high and wide.
31 minCapdevila penalised for a foul to the left of his box. Didn't look to be a lot in that but Dos Santos can bend this in with his left. He again gets too much on it and Casilla was once more off his line but it sails harmlessly wide.
30 minPereira has a chance with a snap-shot just then, but his effort is blocked. He was found by Dos Santos.
28 minVerdu has played well, despite that booking. He's roaming the space left to right in behind Garcia and looking to dictate.
27 minYELLOW CARD! Cynical challenge from Verdu, who can have no complaints bringing down Pina.
25 minThe Mexican whips it in and it almost surprises Casilla in the Espanyol goal. He came off his line but got back to comfortably claim the corner that was bending in.
24 minGood work by Dos Santos on the left. He digs out a cross which is cleared for a corner by Capdevila.
23 minMallorca have been completely toothless in attack up to this point. Dos Santos has been lively, but there's not been a lot of support for him. As I say that Kevin strikes from range, but it was not very close.
21 minThe 21st minute is dedicated to Daniel Jarque. The Espanyol crowd applaud the entire minute for the late Jarque, who tragically died on the pitch three seasons ago. Respectfully observed by Mallorca.
20 minJoan Capdevila plays a neat one-two with Simao and finds space to cross, but it's too close to Aouate in the Mallorca goal.
19 minVerdu encouraged to shoot as the corner is headed out to him, but he turns down the chance and Mallorca manage to clear their lines. It's coming right back, though.
18 minThey're looking comfortable out there now. Verdu finds Garcia down the right, and the ponytailed striker forces a corner.
16 minOh my word, what a hit from Simao! They won a free-kick from about 25 yards and Simao steps up to fire into the side netting. Perhaps the goalkeeper could have done better, but it was struck very well indeed.
16 minGOAL! Espanyol 1-0 Mallorca (Simao)
14 minCHANCE! Dos Santos is threaded through but is forced wide by Hector Moreno. Eventually he attempts a cross-shot from the angle but scoops it into space. No teammates were anywhere near.
13 minEspanyol are bossing this in the middle in the opening 10 minutes. Verdu tries again from the right this time but is crowded out.
12 minGarcia links up well with Verdu, but the latter's snap-shot is blocked. I don't think it was on target anyway.
11 minGiovani loops one over the bar from just outside the box. A very ambitious effort there with his back to goal and it wasn't even close.
10 minMallorca now looking to get on the ball a bit. There's not been a chance so far in this one. It's been a display of both sides trying to keep possession and tight defending all round.
9 minFirst corner of the evening here as Sergio Garcia does well on the left to earn it off Pina's touch.
8 minRemember, Espanyol's former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked in November, was today unveiled as the new boss of Southampton. Here's the story on that one.
6 minCrunching tackle from Forlin here. He absolutely flew in and caught his man recklessly, pretty much in the face.
5 minLopez loses the ball down the right-hand side, but his teammates help him out with some fine pressure.
4 minVerdu has been bundled over a couple of times already. Mallorca are getting very tight to the home dangerman.
3 minIt has been a very slow-paced start to this game. After the early Espanyol passing Mallorca are now pinging it about in the midfield. However it breaks down.
2 minEspanyol looking for Verdu at every opportunity early on, he's dictating the early action.
1 minEspanyol pressing early on and win a corner, but Lopez gives it straight to Luna, however he takes it back out of play.
8.01pmEspanyol to kick us off...
8pmIf you want a punt on the visitors, they can be had at about 3-1. That's worth a shot if you ask me - I'm going 2-1 to the visitors.
7.57pmThe favourites, Espanyol, can be had at around evens with most leading bookies.
7.56pmWith five minutes to go let's have a quick peek at tonight's odds.
7.50pmFor the hosts, their top scorer is the excellent Joan Verdu. When he's on form Espanyol often play well.
7.48pmThey aren't helped by being without top scorer Tomer Hemed from the start tonight. He has seven goals in the league, but only makes the bench today.
7.45pmThey also hold the unenviable stat of having the longest streak without winning in the league this season. That was a miserable 11 games but they have two wins out of their last four.
7.43pmMallorca have slipped into the bottom three in the last game week, so will be looking to bounce straight back out with a win to start the La Liga weekend.
7.40pmMALLORCA XI: Aouate; T. Pina, Pereira, Nsue, Giovani; Marquez, Geromel, Nunes, Casadesus; Luna, Kevin
7.38pmESPANYOL XI: Casilla; Lopez, Moreno, Colotto, Capdevila; Baena, Forlin, Simao, Verdu, Rui Fonte; Sergio Garcia
7.35pmTeam news coming right up.
7.33pmWe have an interesting encounter tonight. These two sides are showing fight in the relegation battle and both are on good form coming into this.
7.32pmGood evening all. Welcome to tonight's La Liga action.
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