C.D. Leganés scored a very important victory at Butarque against R.C.D. Espanyol (3-2), in the 35th round of LALIGA EA SPORTS. Cissé, Yan Diomandé and Kumbulla, in his own goal, scored for the Pepineros, while Cabrera and Pere Milla pulled one back for the Periquitos.
Borja Jiménez introduced up to six changes in the line-up compared to the last match in Seville, with Rosier, who returned from injury, Alti and Cissé, who returned after serving a one-match suspension, as well as Neyou, Diomandé and Diego García. Lega started strongly, with a first chance for Raba in minute 2 that went just wide of the post. Then it was Munir who had the chance after a good action by Diomandé on the left, but Joan García caught his shot in the middle.
Cissé and Diomande put Leganés ahead in the first half
In the 10th minute, Jorge Sáenz scored from a lateral free kick by Raba, but Alberola Rojas disallowed the goal for offside, which was ratified after a VAR review. The visitors tried to cool down Espanyol's great start, but again in the 22nd minute, Leganés had a chance in the boots of Cissé after Neyou's free kick went just wide of the post. The first for Espanyol came in minute 30, with a header by Edu Expósito that didn't find the goal.
In the 32nd minute, Leganés' persistence was to be recognized: advanced pressure on Espanyol's start, Dani Raba's theft and an assist for Seydouba Cissé, who shot past Joan García to make it 1-0, to the explosion of a Butarque that believed in the game. It was the third goal of the Guinean midfielder this season. And even before the break, Lega doubled its advantage: Tapia connected with Raba and again the '10' assisted, this time to Diomandé, who beat Joan García and scored his first goal as a Leganés player. The score was 2-0 at half-time.
Kumbulla, in his own goal, scored the third for Lega, and Cabrera and Pere Milla reduced the deficit in the final stretch
The second-half started without changes in Lega, with a first long shot by Tapia that Espanyol responded with another by the newly incorporated Véliz. After an action in which VAR corrected Alberola Rojas for a possible sending off of Joan García, at 63' Leganés scored the 3-0: Raba took a lateral free kick, Joan García rejected it and the ball bounced off Kumbulla and went into the goal to make it 3-0.
In the 73rd minute, Borja Jiménez made his first substitution, bringing on Óscar Rodríguez in place of Dani Raba, who received a standing ovation from the almost 12,000 spectators in the stands at Butarque. Espanyol pulled one back in the 79th minute through Cabrera, who took advantage of a rebound after a corner kick to beat Dmitrovic and make it 3-1. In the final stretch, and after the introduction of Brasanac, Miguel and Duk, Espanyol made it 3-2 in the extra time through Pere Milla.
With the final whistle, Leganés returned to three points and remains alive in the fight for permanence. The pepineros are placed with 34 points in the standings and their next match will take place this Wednesday (19:00) at the Estadio de la Cerámica against Villarreal C.F.
