First Division - Day 25

Espanyol 1 - Deportivo 0

Espanyol: Pau López; Javi López, Alvaro González, Oscar Duarte, Víctor Alvarez; Pape Diop, Víctor Sánchez (Enzo Roco 83’); Marco Asensio, Abraham, Burgui (Gerard Moreno 71‘); Caicedo (Salva Sevilla 92’). 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Lux; Juanfran, Arribas, Sidnei (Laure 26‘), Fernando Navarro (Luisinho 68‘); Celso Borges (Fede Cartabia 78‘), Alex Bergantiños, Mosquera; Fayçal Fajr, Oriol Riera, Luis Alberto. 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 51. Marco Asensio. Fired shot past Lux after Burgui headed back cross.

Yellow cards: Marco Asensio 19’, Arribas 47’, Víctor Sánchez 57’, Caicedo 92’.

Espanyol moved four points clear of the drop zone after they beat Deportivo 1-0 on Saturday, the result taking some of the pressure off coach Constantin Galca. Neither side had won a single game in 2016, and there were few chances in a tense first half, Lux saving from Marco Asensio and Caicedo, and Luis Alberto going close a couple of times at the other end. Asensio fired a shot wide though soon after the restart, and a couple of minutes later he got what was to prove the only goal after Burgui headed back a cross from Javi López. Later in the second half Oriel Riera headed a corner just wide of the mark, but Asensio in particular missed two or three opportunities after that to extend the lead.