RCD Espanyol rebounded after losing seven of their previous eight LaLiga matches with a thrilling 3-1 triumph over RC Celta de Vigo at RCDE Stadium.
Predictably, following a streak of four consecutive losses, the home side began cautiously with an anxious crowd providing support during the rare occasions they pushed forward. This allowed the visitors to dominate proceedings, albeit without demonstrating much ambition to advance and break the deadlock.
After 22 minutes, Celta nearly suffered for their passive mindset when Jofre Carreras found himself unmarked at the far post, but he lacked precision and dragged his shot wide of the target. Espanyol urgently sought a spark of creativity, and they uncovered it five minutes before halftime when Irvin Cardona sprinted the length of the field after intercepting the ball near his own area before unleashing an unstoppable strike beyond Vicente Guaita, electrifying the crowd.
In the second half, the hosts displayed newfound confidence, and Guaita had to react quickly to push a powerful shot from Jofre over the crossbar. That save provided only temporary relief, though, as from the resulting corner, a loose ball landed with Leandro Cabrera, who smashed it into the top corner for his first goal this campaign.
As the game progressed, the home side were content to cede possession and retreated deep into their half to preserve the two-goal advantage. A tense finale was unavoidable when Carlos Romero brought down Óscar Mingueza inside the area, allowing Iago Aspas to convert the penalty. The anxiety among fans eased moments later when Walid Cheddira sprinted down the left flank before slotting the ball past Guaita to make it 3-1 and seal the win.
While the victory doesn’t pull Espanyol out of the relegation zone, it moves them to 18th place and, crucially, narrows the gap to safety, with goal difference keeping them in the bottom three. Meanwhile, Celta stay 11th, missing the opportunity to climb to 8th position.
