C.D. Leganés with a second consecutive victory in Anduva (2-1)

C.D. Leganés overcame C.D. Mirandés at Anduva (1-2) on the seventh LaLiga SmartBank matchday, marking their first away win and their second consecutively in the league. Jon Bautista's first half goal and Javi Hernández's finish ten minutes before the final whistle secured the victory for the pepineros, with Brugué netting for the home side.

Garitano's starting XI was the first this season to feature no changes to the lineup, preserving his winning structure from the S.D. Amorebieta fixture, with Iván Villar in goal, Bustinza, Omeruo, Bruno and Javi Hernández at the back; Randjelovic, Rubén Pardo, Shibasaki and Bárcenas in the midfield; Fede Vico in the number 10 role with Bautista in front.

Bautista puts Leganés in front, but Brugué cuts their lead soon after

Leganés started the game with an ambition to score that nearly materialised within two minutes of kickoff: Pardo played Randjelovic through, who then fed Bárcenas with a ball right into the area, but Lizoain rushed out to stop the Panamanian from opening his pepinero account. Their next attempt brought more fortune: Bustinza cleverly redirected the ball for Bárcenas to cross into Bautista, who drifted to the back post to deliver an unstoppable header past Lizoain to make in 1-0 inside of ten minutes and notch his second goal in blanquiazul. 

Bautista leapt onto a defensive error in search of his second but was thwarted by Lizoain's recovery. However, Mirandés would manage to equalise in their first attacking threat of the game through an athletic diving header from Brugué in the 22' from Imanol's cross. All seemed to collapse when Villar's denial of Camello left a loose ball for Meseguer to convert, but the play was ruled offside by VAR. 

Mirandés took advantage of their attacking momentum to produce some brilliant build up play that Vicente nearly finished off in the 31' and kept Leganés on the back foot until the 42' when Vicente found the target after winning the ball inside the area, but Villar defended resolutely to keep the score level for half time.

Chances for both sides at the start of the second half

The half time break did not provide a respite as Leganés might half hoped, with the locals pressing hard and Brugué testing Villar's ability once again. Yet Leganés began to respond more positively when Javi Hernández received a smooth backheel pass from Fede Vico, but was unable to score. Leganés began to build and spread the play across both flanks, generating more danger in the transitions between the full backs and their attacking players. 

Opportunity came knocking again for Javi Hernández in the 66' from some link-up play Bárcenas and Fede Vico, but his shot was just off and Lizoain was on hand to catch it. In the 68' Garitano made his first double substitution to bring on Doukouré and José Arnaiz in palce of Fede Vico and Randjelovic, with Arnaiz quickly joining the play to launch an athletic effort at goal from Bárcenas' cross in the 73', but the shot fell wide of goal.

Javi Hernández with the winner in the 79' 

Finally, in the 79' Leganés' insistence paid off: Rubén Pardo took a free-kick from the left flank that Lizoain punched into open space for Javi Hernández to collect the loose ball and make it 1-2. It was his first goal of the season and, in the end, the one that would give Leganés the victory as they managed the final minutes of the game with substitutes Sergio González and Borja Garcés. The result was their first away win of the season and their second consecutively in LaLiga SmartBank.

The next fixture for the pepineros will be on Sunday 3rd October 21:00 CEST as hosts to C.D. Lugo.