Espanyol wins thanks to a goal by Callejón in second half
It's taken seven months, but Callejón's goal was a 3 pointer!
Espanyol obtained their second victory this season versus Almería thanks to a goal by Callejón at the start of the second half. The blue and white team showed once more that it will be extremely difficult to defeat them in their home ground of Cornellá-Prat.
Espanyol faced a very well positioned team who from the start absorbed all the home teams’ attacks. Mauricio Pochettino’s team tried harder than their rival and showed a greater ambition. Almería did not want to approach Espanyol’s goal and their main target was to slow down the rhythm of the game as well as to make the Espanyol players feel very uncomfortable on the pitch.
Lillo – the Almería coach – produced quite a conservative tactical game, however rather uncomfortable for the home team who was not as precise as they were on previous matches. Almería seemed to be happy with the initial score, whereas Espanyol tried their hardest to find a gap in their visitors defensive line to enable them to score.
The match drastically changed at the end of the first half. After Callejón fell in the box, the home chances increased by the minute. Kameni, very alert, saved a shot in the small box by Piatti. Iván Alonso playing today as a centre forward produced a hard shot from the front line which Diego Alves managed to send away.
Kameni, once more, magnificently saved a dangerous shot by Bernardello sending it to for a corner. Callejón reacted immediately with two very good distant shots well saved by the visitor goalie. Espanyol, at the end of the first half seemed to be better positioned and created more chances.
The first half left a good sensation on the pitch and this materialised at the start of the second half with a wonderful goal scored by the player from Granada, José Callejón. Fans would have been a lot happier if Sergio García would have scored from a very good pass from the right wing by Luis García.
Espanyol kept controlling the game, especially Almería’s two fast players such as Crusat and Piatti. The argentinian had a header bounce off the post and shortly afterwards Victor Ruiz almost scored an own goal!!
Callejón was determined to keep Diego Alves busy and once more tried a distant shot which this time the visitor keeper managed to sort out. Pochettino’s players tried their hardest till the final whistle to ensure their second victory of the new season.
Game Stats
RCD Espanyol : Kameni, David García, J. Márquez, Víctor Ruiz, Callejón (Javi López, min.89), Luis García, Galán, Forlín, Sergio García (Dátolo, min.72), Duscher and Iván L.M. (J.Verdú, min.48)
UD Almería: Diego Alves, Jakobsen, Marcelo Silva (Valeri, min.71), Crusat, P.Piatti (Corona, min.71), J.M. Ortiz, Mo (Nieto, min.87), Ulloa, Carlos García, Vargas and Bernardello.
Referee: José A. Teixeira Vitienes (Cantabria).
Yellow card: Marcelo Silva (min.16), Carlos García (min.61), Ulloa (min.93), Forlín (min.20), Duscher (min.22), Sergio García (min.65).
Goal: 1-0, Callejón (min.47)
Attendance: 24.345 spectators.
Tags: Callejón
