Espanyol let victory slip in the closing moments at La Rosaleda

Espanyol were held to a painful 1-1 draw at La Rosaleda on Friday. Bryan Zaragoza had put them in front, but Málaga found a late equaliser. Espanyol had started well, yet could not extend their lead before their opponents fought back.

Zaragoza’s goal, his first of the campaign according to the match account, was one of the few bright spots on the night. The other was Àngel Fortuño, a surprise starter in place of Dmitrovic. In his first appearance of the campaign, the goalkeeper looked assured despite the pressure Málaga applied after the break. He could do nothing, however, to stop Adrián Niño’s powerful strike from bringing the sides level.

Fortuño made no secret of his frustration at the late turn of events. “The team is very disappointed because they scored against us in the last minute. These are things that cannot happen, but we have no choice but to move forward,” he said. He also spoke eagerly about the upcoming game against Atlético: “At home we are stronger, we can beat any team and, looking forward to the Atlético match, I’m sure we’ll get through it.”

Espanyol’s next fixture will therefore be against Atlético. Before then, the team will need to address the mistakes that cost them the win in Málaga. The point does little to ease the disappointment of letting a victory slip after a convincing first half and Zaragoza’s goal.