Two goals from Jofre Carreras and a comical goal from Javi Puado help Espanyol to overcome Real Valladolid and seal their spot in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.
“Boss, one more round,” Salvi Sánchez requested through social media just before Espanyol faced Real Valladolid in the second round of the Copa del Rey. Hours later, the winger’s wish was granted as the blue and whites prevailed 3-1, courtesy of a brace from Jofre Carreras and another goal from Javi Puado. Thus, the “pericos” will be present in the round of 32 of the knockout tournament.
Salvi Sánchez, indeed, was one of the protagonists of the match, providing an assist and starting in a lineup where Luis Miguel Ramis made several rotations. The only players who remained in the starting eleven from the visit to Real Oviedo were Leandro Cabrera and Keidi Bare.
Jofre Carreras seizes the first opportunity for RCDE
The visitors dominated possession in the early stages of the match and had a good chance to open the scoring when Tunde crossed from the left, but Cédric narrowly missed connecting in front of the goal. Shortly after, Joni Montiel sent in a free-kick from long range, and Gustavo Henrique, unmarked from the penalty spot, headed towards goal, only to be denied by a great save from Joan García.
As the first quarter of the match elapsed, Espanyol stepped up and started to control the ball more. This slight reaction was enough for the blue and whites to take the lead in the 24th minute. After a recovery in midfield by Sergi Gómez, the center-back passed the ball to Keita Baldé. The Spanish-Senegalese player was fouled by an opponent but managed to assist Jofre Carreras, who cut inside from the right and beat John Victor with a shot to the near post.
Real Valladolid quickly shook off the setback and took control of the game after the 1-0 scoreline. However, Espanyol was riding high on confidence and thwarted all attempts by Valladolid to create danger. In fact, the next chance of the game was a long-range effort from Jofre Carreras that missed the target.
RCDE strikes again at the best moment for the opponent
In the minutes leading up to halftime, Valladolid dominated possession, and Espanyol found themselves increasingly pinned back in their own area. Just when it seemed Espanyol was eager to head to the dressing rooms, the Catalans capitalized on a counterattack to double their advantage. Pol Lozano won the ball in midfield and played it wide to Salvi Sánchez. The Andalusian winger reached the box from the right and crossed for Jofre Carreras, who received the ball at close range and smashed it into the back of the net.
Paulo Pezzolano’s boys could have dampened the RCDE’s spirits before halftime. Cédric capitalized on a mistake by Leandro Cabrera, who was having a solid first half defensively, to regain possession on the edge of the box. The striker faced Joan García and fired a shot that narrowly missed the woodwork.
Espanyol controls the second half but faces a scare
After the break, Real Valladolid threatened again. Sergio Escudero delivered a throw-in into the area, and Joni Montiel headed from close range. Joan García made a good save to deny the goal. Despite this scare, it was Espanyol who controlled the early minutes of the second half. The pericos constantly troubled the opposition defense with crosses from the wings, while Valladolid seemed to be losing steam. In the 60th minute, Espanyol could have scored the third with a header from Leandro Cabrera from a corner, but a defender diverted the ball away from the goal.
Shortly after, Luis Miguel Ramis made the first substitutions to maintain control of the match. The home coach introduced three regular starters – Omar El Hilali, José Gragera, and Javi Puado – replacing Óscar Gil, Pol Lozano, and José Gragera, respectively. These changes had the desired effect, and Espanyol continued to dominate in the following minutes, although they struggled to convert their superiority into chances. Faced with this situation, Luis Miguel Ramis brought on Martin Braithwaite for Omar Sadik.
The match entered its final phase with very few notable incidents, and many minutes passed without significant plays. Everything seemed settled until Real Valladolid took advantage of a lapse in concentration from the RCDE defense to reduce the deficit. Tunde outplayed Óscar Gil and assisted Isra Salazar, who comfortably received the ball at the penalty spot and scored the 2-1, adding excitement to the final moments of the match.
Javi Puado capitalizes on a mistake by John Victor to seal the deal
Valladolid showed intent to equalize, but they lacked ideas in the final minutes and did not create any dangerous opportunities. In the 95th minute, John Victor went forward to attack a corner and then hurried back to his goal when Joan García caught the ball. Espanyol capitalized on the absence of the opposing goalkeeper to launch a quick play that ended with Javi Puado scoring the 3-1 into an empty net. This goal definitively confirmed the presence of the blue and whites in the draw for the Copa del Rey round of 16, scheduled for next Tuesday, December 12.
Before and after the final whistle, there were a series of altercations between members of both benches that resulted in Robert Kenedy being sent off and Domingo Catoira, sports director of Real Valladolid and former RCDE executive, going down to the tunnel to mediate between both parties.
Match details
Espanyol: Joan García; Óscar Gil (Omar El Hilali, 64′), Sergi Gómez, Leandro Cabrera, Ramon Ramos; Keidi Bare, Pol Lozano (José Gragera, 64′), Jofre Carreras (Javi Puado, 64′), Salvi Sánchez; Keita Baldé (Álvaro Aguado, 88′), and Omar Sadik (Martin Braithwaite, 74′).
Real Valladolid: John Victor; Lucas Rosa, Gustavo Henrique, Víctor Meseguer (Iván Sánchez, 84′), Sergio Escudero (David Torres, 63′); César de la Hoz, Alberto Quintana, Mickael Malsa (Anuar Tuhami, 71′); Tunde (Raúl Moro, 84′), Ivan Cédric (Isra Salazar, 71′), and Joni Montiel.
Goals: 1-0, Jofre Carreras (24′); 2-0, Jofre Carreras (43′); 2-1, Isra Salazar (82′); 3-1, Javi Puado (95′).
Referee: Lax Franco. Yellow cards: Luis Miguel Ramis (82′), Ramon Ramos (94′) | Tunde (10′), Paulo Pezzolano (82′), Robert Kenedy (97′), Iván Sánchez (98′).
Stadium: Stage Front Stadium. 15,464 spectators.”