Espanyol 2 - Mallorca 0

Espanyol: Toni; Fredson (Amaya 21'), Lopo, Soldevilla, David García; Domoraud, De la Peña (Martín Posse 71'); Maxi, Oscar (Alex Fernández 62'), Roger; Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; David Cortés, Lussenhoff, Vicente, Poli; Lozano (Carlos 50'), Marcos; Novo (Campano 85'), Ibagaza, Riera; Pandiani (Turu Flores 78'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Fredson, Lopo, De la Peña, Oscar for Torricelli, Amaya, Morales, Milosevic / Mallorca: David Cortés, Lussenhoff, Lozano, Riera for Campano, Fernando Niño, Robles, Eto'o.

Goals:
1-0. 33. Tamudo. Picked up long pass and rounded defender to beat Leo Franco.
2-0. 45. Oscar. Took headed pass from Domoraud and forced shot past keeper.

Espanyol kept their survival hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday night. Javier Clemente's side desperately needed a win to stop a bigger gap opening up, and the manager made several changes to his starting line up, bringing in De la Peña and Oscar and leaving Milosevic on the bench. Injuries and suspensions meant that Fredson was brought in at right back, the tenth player to occupy this position this season, but he was carried off midway through the first half after being accidentally kicked in the head by Riera, and had to be rushed to hospital for checks after fainting in the changing rooms. Gregorio Manzano was missing Eto'o for no less than the tenth time this season due to suspension, and he had to cobble together a new defence once again, with Fernando Niño joining a long injury list. Riera returned though from his injury, and Lozano was back in the side after a serving out a one match ban.

The home side started the stronger, and De la Peña hit the bar early on. The pressure eventually paid off, Tamudo putting the Catalans in front around the half hour mark after slipping between Lussenhoff and Vicente to beat Leo Franco, his side's first goal in almost six hours of football. Then Oscar revindicated his first start of the season with a second goal on the stroke of half time. The absence of Eto'o was notable, and Manzano brought on Carlos at the break to join the solitary Pandiani. Within minutes he had brought the best save of the night out of Toni, and Pandiani also tested the keeper a few minutes later with a header. But Clemente pulled back his troops, pulling off Oscar to put on the more defensive Alex, and they defended their lead to move to within three points of seventeenth placed Alavés. Mallorca are now only one point above the Basque side, having only taken one point from their last seven games, but they need to forget that this week as they face up to Deportivo in their midweek cup semi-final.