Espanyol, new life. As someone who is enumerating the chimes, Espanyol arrived at Mestalla counting the consecutive starts in First without winning, 18, with the intention of cutting their losses just before the end of 2021. New Year, new life. And, unlike most of his previous matches away from Cornellà-El Prat, he tried by all means and got the reward. He got it. With a collective work Stakhanovist. And with success in the changes, of immediate effect: Morlanes, Puado and, above all, a Jofre Carreras who made his debut in the First Division after a long injury. The last game of the year and the first: the first win away, the winger’s first game. In time to return home, devour the grapes and dream – with more points already, 26, than in the entire relegation season – of 2022.
Sheet metal and paint. It is true that improving the performance of the previous game, just in Balaídos just before Christmas, was not difficult. But, beyond the changes – four, with the entry of Keidi Bare, Melamed, Embarba and Loren, certifying the presence of the latter a 4-4-2 – the workshop’s work was noticed. Faced with an aggressive Valencia, Espanyol was very attentive to the recovery, without crouching behind and with a lot of help – Keidi Bare plugged in – and ready to jump vertically. He also optimized his ball delivery, more dynamic to always find a free man. And it made sense, when the occasion required it, the combinatorial game. To the point that on the edge of the break, timid whistles were already heard in Mestalla. And they weren’t for Lim. Not for the referee.
High slat. Because right away it was seen that Sánchez Martínez, until he had no choice as in the double yellow for Hugo Duro, was going to set the bar high. It was enough with a couple of very tough innings on Pedrosa that ended with a simple yellow. A Thierry, curiously protagonist in the 44th minute of a hand that Raúl de Tomás – half a meter away – called out for a penalty and that Vicente Moreno, after seeing it repeated through a tablet on the bench, protested. “Go look at him,” read his lips as he clasped his hands like someone who is about to pray. His pleas were not heeded, perhaps because the Portuguese had his arm close to his chest.
From almost electric goal to ‘unplugged’. As if it were Dickens’s Christmas story, but on New Year’s Eve, Espanyol showed its two most opposite faces in just five minutes after the restart. In 15 seconds the samurai (for his new ponytail) Raúl de Tomás had had it 0-1, in a very clear action that started with the serve from the center of the field. But, from there, the equipment was mysteriously disconnected. Loren prowled the penalty, allowed Valencia to regain control of the game and defended the worst that the lateral center could in Alderete’s goal, freeing the Paraguayan and half of the Ché team.
The real status of Espanyol. Far from losing face to the game, parrots looked for a draw like few times, and then victory. And he managed to close with a huge smile a 2021 marked until the last minute by his ordeal at home (he only had three points), in contrast to the fort at home –20 points and the only team that has defeated Real Madrid– and, in general, for the return to the real status of Espanyol, which is none other than the First Division. Happy New Year.