Espanyol supporters celebrated fiercely at Balaídos Stadium during matchday 14 of the season. It was in the 85th minute when Kike García capitalized on a crucial moment to score the decisive goal that gave Espanyol the win.
Kike García was undoubtedly the standout player of the match; not only did he score the game’s only goal, but he also completed 8 successful passes throughout the match.
Defensively, Leandro Cabrera was impressive; he made vital clearances, averting three dangerous Celta attacks.
On the other side, Celta’s forward Borja Iglesias showed his skill by effortlessly nutmegging his marker at the 28-minute mark of the first half.
Celta’s coach, Claudio Giráldez, opted for a 3-4-3 formation featuring Ionut Radu in goal, with Javier Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, and Marcos Alonso forming the back line. The midfield included Javi Rueda, Fran Beltrán, Miguel Román, and Sergio Carreira, while Iago Aspas, Borja Iglesias, and Bryan Zaragoza led the attack.
Meanwhile, Espanyol, under coach José González Álvarez, set up in a 4-5-1 formation. Marko Dmitrovic protected the goal; Omar el Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, and Carlos Romero made up the defense. The midfield consisted of Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez, Tyrhys Dolan, Ramón Terrats, and Pere Milla, with Roberto Fernández spearheading their offense.
The match was officiated by Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos.
Looking ahead, Celta will be facing Real Madrid away in their next league match, while Espanyol will host Rayo Vallecano.
With this result, Espanyol climbs to 16 points, sitting at 12th place in the standings, whereas Celta remains with 24 points, positioned in 6th place.
Substitutions for Celta
69’ 2T – Javi Rueda replaced by Ilaix Moriba; Iago Aspas substituted for Jones El-Abdellaoui.
78’ 2T – Borja Iglesias off for Williot Swedberg; Fran Beltrán replaced by Pablo Duran.
87’ 2T – Miguel Román substituted for Ferrán Jutglà.
Cautions for Celta:
49’ 2T – Ferrán Jutglà (Receiving a warning for disputing with a rival).
Substitutions for Espanyol
59’ 2T – Ramón Terrats off for Kike García.
75’ 2T – Fernando Calero replaced by Clemens Riedel; Roberto Fernández off for Edu Expósito; Pere Milla substituted by Jofre Carreras.
89’ 2T – Tyrhys Dolan off for José Salinas.
Cautions for Espanyol:
26’ 2T – Urko Gonzalez (Cautioned for holding a rival to prevent them from advancing); 49’ 2T – Carlos Romero (Cautioned for arguing with a rival).