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Match Report: Tough turnaround at the RCDE Stadium

RCD Espanyol fall 1-2 to Real Betis

A late turnaround from their opponents meant RCD Espanyol fell 1-2 to Real Betis at the RCDE Stadium, in a tough result for Los Pericos.

The game began with RCD Espanyol looking confident, clearly liberated by their recent run of good form. The were up against a Betis side who were fresh off defeating Fiorentina in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semifinals in midweek.

RCD Espanyol's Edu Expósito had the first chance to score after an excellent move by Carlos Romero on the left wing, and shortly after, Urko González came close to beating Adrián after a brilliant solo move.

Real Betis responded quickly with a shot from Giovanni Lo Celso, the star of the first half, which was saved by birthday boy Joan García. The goalkeeper, who was turning 24 on the day of the match, was once again instrumental, making two stops in quick succession.

RCD Espanyol withstood the visitors' pressure and, once again, looked for ways to hurt their opponents. Javi Puado almost scored one of the goals of the season when he tried to surprise Adrián with a shot from the middle of the park.

Manolo González's team showed no signs of being intimidated, and were rewarded with a goal from Roberto Fernández. The centre forward took advantage of a pass from Pol Lozano to open the scoring.

Real Betis's pressure increased significantly after halftime, with RCD Espanyol only registering a shot from Puado in the early going. The busiest man for Los Pericos was Joan Garcia for a considerable spell.

Espanyol held off the opponent's onslaught until the 90th minute, when Lo Celso dribbled through the defence and equalised.

The home team reacted well and even came close to scoring their second with a clear chance for Král in the six-yard box. The Czech attacker's backheeled shot was only kept out by a defender.

And just when it looked like the game was going to end in a draw, Antony gave the visiting team the victory, with a shot that went into the top left corner from the right wing.

RCD Espanyol face CD Leganés in an early kickoff next Sunday.