Two goals from Christian Stuani have provided travelling Espanyol with an important 2-0 first-leg victory over home side Alaves in the Copa del Rey this evening.
Espanyol should have taken the lead after just two minutes as a wasteful Manuel Lanzarote struck straight at the goalkeeper from close range after being picked out by Victor Alvarez.
Lanzarote looked threatening in the opening 45 minutes and he almost turned provider for Raul Rodriguez, but he could only head over the crossbar from around six yards out.
The hosts didn't have to wait too long, however, as Stuani finally grabbed the game's opener when he found himself on the end of Alvarez's cross, allowing the striker to tuck home into the bottom left corner.
The visitors thought they had earned an equaliser in the 59th minute, only to see Marco Sangalli's header kept out at the bottom corner by Pau Lopez, before Xabier Castillo shot wide from a difficult angle late on.
Espanyol grabbed a vital second goal in injury time when Stuani rose highest to send Lanzarote's cross powerfully into the bottom corner and put his side in a commanding position in the two-legged tie.
Christopher Dodd
