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Match Report: 4-1 defeat to Villarreal at La Cerámica

Espanyol come away emptyhanded from their Monday night fixture

RCD Espanyol's visit to Villarreal CF and the Estadio de la Cerámica ended in a 4-1 defeat, with only a Cabrera consolation goal for Los Pericos.

The away side started the game well organised, closing down Villarreal's lines and only allowing their opponents space with shots from the edge of the box.

Just 11 minutes into the game, a controversial moment occurred; Dolan cut inside from the left flank and delivered a lofted ball to the far post, where Omar El Hillali turned it into the net. However, the goal was disallowed for non-existent contact between Roberto Fernández and Sergi Cardona.

Villarreal took the lead in the 34th minute, when Mikautadze finished off a flick-on from Buchanan inside the area.

Just before halftime, the Yellow Submarine extended their lead to 2-0 with a low drive from Moleiro that deflected in off Salinas. The scoreline at the interval was a harsh one for RCD Espanyol's efforts.

After the restart, Villarreal struck again. Pepe scored his side's third goal after a solo run on the edge of the area. Just minutes later, Moleiro finished off a counter-attack to make it 4-0.

Midway through the second half, Ngonge made his debut for Espanyol, and went on to assist Cabrera from a corner in the final stages of the game. The 4-1 result was a disappointing one for Los Pericos, who next play RC Celta on Saturday at 2pm at the RCDE Stadium.