Espanyol 2 - Mallorca 0

Espanyol: Lemmens; Domoraud, Lopo, Pochettino, David García (Wome 86'); Fredson (Morales 71'), Alex Fernández; Maxi, De la Peña (Héctor 85'), Jordi Cruyff; Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; David Cortés (Olaizola 42'), Fernando Niño, Lussenhoff, Poli; Colsa, Nagore (Marcos 48'); Raúl Martín (Bruggink 52'), Correa, Nené; Eto'o. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Lemmens, Lopo, Pochettino, Fredson, De la Peña for Toni, Tayfun, Torricelli, Jarque, Morales / Mallorca: Fernando Niño, Poli for Nadal, Olaizola.

Goals:
1-0. 01. Tamudo. Took Jordi Cruyff pass and ran on to fire shot into top corner.
2-0. 75. Tamudo. Picked up De la Peña through ball and hit low shot across keeper.

A rare win for bottom side Espanyol, their 2-0 victory over Mallorca ending their run of five defeats in a row. Tamudo was the hero for the Catalans, taking a pass from Jordi Cruyff and powering through to open the scoring with less than thirty seconds on the clock, much to the delight of the local fans. And the team captain could have scored two more before the break if it had not been for visiting keeper Leo Franco.

For once the local defence appeared sound, with Pochettino making his first appearance after returning to the club as soon as the winter transfer window opened, and Lemmens returning in goal only a couple of weeks after the press reported that he had been asked to leave as Luis Fernández didn't want him. Only a Fernando Niño header troubled the defence at all, and Luis Aragonés made his third substitution only five minutes in to the second half in order to shake things up.

In the end though it was Espanyol who scored again, Tamudo getting his second of the night after De la Peña put him through with a pinpoint pass. Mallorca's Samuel Eto'o returned from international duty with Cameroon to play the match, but he got himself sent off near the end after picking up a yellow and then a red card in quick succession for arguing with the referee. Not a good night for the visitors, and they slip back down to the bottom half of the table.