Cabrera reflects on his goal after Espanyol beat Villarreal

“I was left watching for a bit, then Bryan’s tremendous cross came to me,” Cabrera said. The Espanyol defender was describing the goal that helped his side beat Villarreal at La Cerámica.

The decisive moment came in the 60th minute. Bryan Zaragoza sent a cross into the area, where Lele Cabrera appeared to score. The goal put Espanyol ahead, and the victory was celebrated even by Eder Sarabia, who was watching from the stands.

The result mattered beyond the points. It lifted Espanyol out of the relegation zone and ended a run of five matches without a win. Led by interim coach Sergio García, the team secured an important victory against Villarreal.

The match came during a turbulent week for the club: Espanyol had been eliminated from the Copa on Tuesday, and Manolo González was dismissed. Eder Sarabia was then confirmed as the new coach after signing a two-season contract, through 2028. He has not yet been able to take charge from the touchline: the RFEF Disciplinary Committee handed him a four-match suspension following his comments about the refereeing team led by Isidro Díaz de Mera, and he had served two of those matches on Elche’s bench.

Sergio García took interim charge at La Cerámica. Espanyol’s next match, against Deportivo Da Coruña at Cornellà-El Prat, is scheduled for Saturday, November 7; who will lead the team from the dugout then had yet to be decided. Sarabia is not expected to make his debut on that occasion: he will have to wait until the Athletic-Espanyol match, scheduled for Friday, November 20 at San Mamés, to give instructions from the touchline.