In the 15th round of La Liga, Espanyol triumphed at home against Rayo Vallecano. The decisive moment came in the 38th minute of the first half, when Roberto Fernández scored from the penalty spot, securing the victory for the home side.
Although Rayo Vallecano dominated possession with 62%, they were unable to convert their control into goals, ultimately falling short against Espanyol.
Roberto Fernández had a standout performance, netting the only goal of the match and completing two successful passes, proving to be a key player for his team. Defensively, Carlos Romero also stood out, recovering four balls and clearing two dangerous plays.
Espanyol’s head coach, José González Álvarez, opted for a 4-5-1 formation, with Marko Dmitrovic in goal; Omar el Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, and Carlos Romero in defense; Tyrhys Dolan, Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez, Edu Expósito, and Pere Milla in midfield; and Roberto Fernández leading the attack.
On the other side, Iñigo Perez’s team also lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Augusto Batalla in goal; Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Nobel Mendy, and Pep Chavarría in defense; Óscar Valentín, Gerard Gumbau, Isaac Palazón, Unai López, and Fran Pérez in midfield; and Jorge de Frutos upfront.
José Sánchez Martínez was the match referee, overseeing what turned out to be a competitive fixture.
Looking ahead, Espanyol will face Getafe away, while Rayo Vallecano will host Betis. Following this match, Espanyol currently occupies the fifth position in the league with 27 points, while Rayo Vallecano sits in eleventh place with 17 points.
Substitutions for Espanyol
55’ – Pol Lozano was replaced by Charles Pickel
79’ – Roberto Fernández left the field for Kike García and Edu Expósito for Ramón Terrats
88’ – Pere Milla was substituted by Rubén Sánchez
Yellow Cards for Espanyol:
30’ – Pol Lozano (Unsporting behavior), 30’ – Urko Gonzalez (Unsporting behavior), 31’ – Tyrhys Dolan (Simulation of a foul)
Red Cards for Espanyol:
41’ – Tyrhys Dolan (Second yellow card)
Substitutions for Rayo Vallecano
51’ – Gerard Gumbau was substituted for Sergio Camello
69’ – Fran Pérez was replaced by Iván Balliu and Jorge de Frutos by Álvaro García
85’ – Nobel Mendy was substituted for Randy Nteka
Yellow Cards for Rayo Vallecano:
15’ – Unai López (Holding the opponent to prevent advancement), 41’ – Nobel Mendy (Holding the opponent to prevent advancement), 4’ – Gerard Gumbau (Unsporting behavior), 17’ – Óscar Valentín (Unsporting behavior), 28’ – Pep Chavarría (Unsporting behavior), 42’ – Augusto Batalla (Unsporting behavior), 50’ – Iván Balliu (Unsporting behavior)
Red Card for Rayo Vallecano:
18’ – Unai López (Second yellow card)