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Match Report: Second half red card decides game against RCD Mallorca

RCD Espanyol lose 2-1 on the road on Matchday 28

Despite taking the lead in their away game against RCD Mallorca, RCD Espanyol eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat at Son Moix. Charles Pickel scored the opening goal for Los Pericos, but was sent off with over half an hour to play in the second half, and the hosts made the most of the numerical advantage to overturn the scoreline. 

Los Pericos came out determined to dominate from the opening whistle, against a Mallorca side desperate for points and with the support of their fans.

In a back-and-forth first half, they threatened Leo Román's goal from the outset, and only two well-executed runs behind the defence by Mateo Joseph and Morlanes posed any real threat to Marko Dimitrovic.

However, the first serious scare came in the 25th minute, in a scramble that began in the six-yard box and ended right on the goal line -with Dmitrovic stopping an initial Morlanes hit and then a close-range attempt from Mateo Joseph.

The visitors' response was immediate. Kike García chipped the ball over the onrushing Leo Román and the ball ended up in the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Persistent as ever, García tried again from long range, although the ball sailed over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Leo Román made another save, first deflecting a shot from Ramon Terrats and then, in the same move, incredibly tipping García's header over the bar for a corner.

With Espanyol pressing forward with real danger and conviction, their efforts were rewarded. Charles Pickel found the net after an excellent pass from Tyrhys Dolan. The 1-0 lead was a just scoreline based on their persistent pressure before halftime.

RCD Espanyol found themselves in a completely different situation shortly after the start of the second half. A decision by VAR on 54 minutes turned the contest on its head: A challenge by Pickel on Mascarell that initially produced a yellow card was upgraded to a red, leaving Espanyol down to ten men.

From there, the home side took the initiative. This included a goal from Pablo Torre, which had to be reviewed for five minutes by VAR to decide whether Mallorca's Samu Costa had kicked Urko in the buildup. In the end, the goal stood.

As the match entered its final stages, Samu Costa himself made it 2-1, handing RCD Espanyol a harsh defeat on the road.