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Match Report: 0-0 draw at La Cartuja

RCD Espanyol held to a stalemate by Real Betis

RCD Espanyol played out a 0-0 draw with Real Betis away at La Cartuja on LaLiga Matchday 30, with goalkeeper Marko Dimitrovic playing a starring role.

Los Pericos came into the game looking for a solid approach, whilst their opponents -off the back of a defeat before the international break- wanted to avoid taking unnecessary risks. At the same time both teams needed to reassert themselves and revive their momentum with a win.

Espanyol struggled to break into the Betis penalty area and worked hard to avoid gaps in their own defence. They had a slightly off-target effort from Ngonge to their name, before Betis created three clear chances, all denied by Dmitrović: The first came from a close-range shot by Ruibal inside the six-yard box. The second, a minute later, fell to Antony, with the third a header from Altimira that was met with a spectacular save.

The final minutes of the first half had a more defensively organised Espanyol, though they were lacking continuity in attack.

In the second half, the first warning again came from Ngonge after a team move, but his shot went just wide of the right post.

Shortly after, Antony attempted a through ball inside the six-yard box, but Dimitrovic reacted quickly to clear the danger.

With the action going from end-to-end for a spell, Edu Expósito tested Álvaro Valles, and Betis' Matc Bartra attempted an ambitious shot from his own half after spotting Dmitrovic off his line.

In the 79th minute, the crossbar denied the home side a goal that would have been harsh, given Espanyol’s defensive efforts.

In the end, the points were shared in a very competitive match where both sides lacked attacking clarity.