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Match Report: Away trip to Levante UD ends 1-1

Espanyol take the lead at the Ciutat de València but the spoils are shared

RCD Espanyol were held to a 1-1 draw against Levante UD on LaLiga Matchday 19,as a Carlos Romero goal for Los Pericos in the second half was quickly cancelled out by a strike from the hosts.

The game against the relegation strugglers began with a Tyrhys Dolan penalty appeal in the third minute, and later Levante UD moved dangerously close to the goal manned by Marko Dmitrović.

Neither Romero nor Edu Expósito managed to convert a pair of clear-cut opportunities that could have put Espanyol ahead, and the game went into the break with the feeling that all that was needed was to pick up the pace to feel much more comfortable.

Espanyol took that step forward from the start of the second period, and were soon rewarded. Romero collected the a rebound inside the area, controlled and shot with his right foot, beyond the reach of the goalkeeper, to make it 0-1.

However, just as RCD Espanyol were regrouping and getting their bearings, Iker Losada equalised for Levante UD, with more than half an hour of play remaining.

The equaliser boosted the home side's morale, and they began to push for a comeback. The game took on a tactical dimension because the draw satisfied neither team, but neither wanted to lose.

The biggest setback for Los Pericos was an injury to Javi Puado, just minutes after he had come on as a substitute. He will now undergo tests to reveal the extent of the damage.

Roberto Fernández still had a chance to score a winner in stoppage time, but was unable to convert, as the game ended 1-1.