Friday night at the RCDE Stadium took a wrong turn for RCD Espanyol from the very start. Fede Redondo was sent off in the sixth minute after a VAR review for holding Bryan Zaragoza when the forward was through on goal, an incident that completely changed the script of the match. With ten men from such an early stage, the franjiverde team ended up losing 1-3 to an Elche side that arrived as the bottom team in LaLiga EA Sports.
An insurmountable disadvantage
Referee Jon Ander González, in his fourth top-flight match, showed his first red card in the Primera after the indication from the VOR room. The numerical disadvantage was felt immediately. Elche, exploiting the spaces, scored two goals in three minutes through Fer Niño in the 26th and 29th minutes. Although Víctor Chust deflected a ball into his own net in the 72nd for the consolation, Germán Valera sealed the away victory six minutes later.
Espanyol, who now sit ninth with 7 points, created chances to have drawn the match. Roberto Fernández hit the post with a shot in the 75th minute and both Bryan Zaragoza and Pere Milla saw goals disallowed for offside. However, a lack of accuracy and defensive errors proved too costly. This home defeat to the bottom-placed side is a significant blow to morale, leaving the team with just one win in their last five matches, a run that includes two consecutive losses.
Manager Manolo González tried changes in the second half with the introductions of Hartman and Marcos Fernández, but could not find the formula for a comeback. The squad must regroup quickly for the next challenge, a visit to the ground of Málaga, currently 20th, on October 9th. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page and the state of the table on standings.
The original report is at Mundo Deportivo
