Espanyol fans celebrated a crucial win at Estadio de Balaídos during the 14th round of the league. The decisive moment came in the 85th minute when Kike García netted the only goal of the match, securing three vital points for the visitors.
Kike García not only scored the winning goal but was also named the man of the match, completing 8 successful passes throughout the game.
Defensively, Leandro Cabrera stood out for Espanyol, excelling in his role by clearing three dangerous balls, which contributed to the clean sheet.
On the other hand, Celta’s striker Borja Iglesias showcased his skills by skillfully dribbling past his marker with a remarkable nutmeg in the 28th minute of the first half.
The Celta coach, Claudio Giráldez, opted for a 3-4-3 formation, featuring Ionut Radu in goal; Javier Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, and Marcos Alonso in defense; Javi Rueda, Fran Beltrán, Miguel Román, and Sergio Carreira in midfield; with Iago Aspas, Borja Iglesias, and Bryan Zaragoza leading the attack.
Meanwhile, José González Álvarez’s Espanyol lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Marko Dmitrovic safeguarding the goal; Omar el Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, and Carlos Romero forming the backline; Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez, Tyrhys Dolan, Ramón Terrats, and Pere Milla in the middle; and Roberto Fernández up front.
Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos officiated the match at Estadio de Balaídos.
Next up for Celta will be an away game against Real Madrid, while Espanyol will host Rayo Vallecano at home.
With this win, Espanyol climbs to 16 points, sitting comfortably in 12th place, whereas Celta remains on 24 points, ranking 6th in the league.
Substitutions for Celta
69’ 2T – Javi Rueda out for Ilaix Moriba, Iago Aspas out for Jones El-Abdellaoui
78’ 2T – Borja Iglesias out for Williot Swedberg, Fran Beltrán out for Pablo Duran
87’ 2T – Miguel Román out for Ferrán Jutglà
Celta Booking:
49’ 2T – Ferrán Jutglà (Dissent)
Substitutions for Espanyol
59’ 2T – Ramón Terrats out for Kike García
75’ 2T – Fernando Calero out for Clemens Riedel, Roberto Fernández out for Edu Expósito, Pere Milla out for Jofre Carreras
89’ 2T – Tyrhys Dolan out for José Salinas
Espanyol Bookings:
26’ 2T – Urko Gonzalez (Holding for preventing progression), 49’ 2T – Carlos Romero (Dissent)