Espanyol achieved a decisive victory against Villarreal at La Cerámica, with a great goal from LeleCabrera that sealed the 1‑0 victory and gave the Catalan team three points that take them out of the relegation zone and break a streak of five games without winning. Matchday 11 of LaLiga was played in the presence of 17,486 spectators and featured a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the train accident in Urda, Toledo, as well as tributes to MichelPineda and Villarreal's healthiest player, RenatoVeiga.
The match began with a very intense and vertical Espanyol, who put pressure on Villarreal from the first minute. The visiting team, however, woke up and managed to score their first goal in the 18th minute, when GerardMoreno was replaced by Pepé after an injury. The goal was disqualified by the VAR, which annulled the play due to a previous foul. Throughout the match, both teams exchanged several yellow cards and two penalties were recorded that the referee did not award, maintaining the balance until Cabrera's goal changed the course of the match.
In the 60th minute, BryanZaragoza launched a cross that found LeleCabrera in the center of the area, who shot accurately and put the ball in the back of the net. The goal was the only one of the match, and Espanyol remained solid in defense thanks to the stops of Fortuño, who became the key piece to prevent Villarreal from equalizing. The match ended 1‑0 in favor of Espanyol, with interim coach SergioGarcía celebrating the victory with his team and the new signings, such as JanPeries and other reserve team players who made their debut.
The result leaves Espanyol out of the relegation zone and improves its position in the table, while Villarreal, who had sought a draw, is left without points on the day. Both coaches made significant changes: Villarreal recalled Ayoze and Romero, and Espanyol replaced JoséÁngel and PolLozano. The next challenge for Espanyol will be the match against Deportivo, where defender Hinojo will not be able to participate due to his yellow card. Villarreal, for its part, will have to seek recovery in its next match to avoid falling into the relegation zone.