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Match Report. 0-1 win keeps momentum going
Kike García heads home late to beat Celta Vigo
RCD Espanyol took home the three points from their trip to Balaidos, beating Celta Vigo on Matchday 15 of the LaLiga season. Kike García scored the only goal of the game, finding the net in the 86th minute of the contest to earn a 0-1 win.
The team came into the match off the back of victory against Sevilla on the return from the international break, and were brimming with confidence. They were up against a Celta Vigo side who have struggled at home this season, but coach Manolo González had warned in the pre-match press conference that these results had been somewhat deceiving.
González made changes to the starting XI, and was ready for a very tactical match. Espanyol surprised Celta Vigo early on with a counterattack, and maintained a significant presence in the opposition half in the opening minutes, albeit without seriously troubling the opposition goal.
Pere Milla was, once again, the most dangerous player for Los Pericos, although he only managed to test the opponents with a long-range shot. Whilst they defended well, they lacked incisiveness in front of goal.
A penalty appeal by Celta's Borja Iglesias was waved away, as the one-time Espanyol striker was clearly offside, and the only other scare in the first half came from a counterattack by Bryan Zaragoza -who beat his marker and shot off target.
The pace of the game remained fast after the break. Celta seemed slightly increased their possession, but without creating much danger against a well-organised Espanyol. The home side made it uncomfortable for Los Pericos to play out from the back, and pushed forward when the opportunity arose.
Urko González latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and fired a powerful shot just wide, and it seemed as if the game was destined to end in a stalemate. However, late on, Kike García was introduced -and he was able to turn in off a corner by Edu Expósito to to earn RCD Espanyol the win.