Espanyol 0-0 Levante
Espanyol extended their winless run to 16 matches on Monday night at the RCDE Stadium, following a draw with Levante. However they had goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic to thank that it was not more damaging.
Levante had the first real chance of the game, with the ball being worked out to the right side, and Victor Garcia rifled the ball at the top corner in the fifth minute. Dmitrovic managed to get a strong hand to the ball to divert it over. From there, Manolo Gonzalez’s side took control of the first half, with Levante unable to get out of their own territory with any ease. Los Pericos dominated the ball, and were getting half-chances, but their best efforts were ruled out for offside.
Ramon Terrats forced a strong save from Mat Ryan, minutes after Cyril Ngonge had struck the post, although on the latter occasion, he was clearly offside. Los Granotas were largley limiting Espanyol’s sights at goal though.
Dmitrovic heroics at the death
Espanyol began the second half on the front foot again, but as the game went on, it felt increasingly like it would be Levante that would break the deadlock. In the final 20 minutes, they did all of the pushing for the opening goal, and might consider themselves unlucky not to have found it. After a brilliant flick over the defence in a crowded box, Karl Etta Eyong seemed destined to make a genius out of Luis Castro for his substitution, but a reaction foot prevented the Cameroon forward from converting a glaring chance.
Gonzalez’s substitutions went less well, with Pol Lozano coming on in the 85th minute, and seeing two bookings in the following two minutes on the pitch. Moments later, Espanyol probably had the clearest opening of the second half from their perspective, a ball from deep on the right side finding Roberto Fernandez’s head on the stretch, but just failing to guide it down. Into stoppage time, and it was Carlos Alvarez, the architect of Levante’s good play going forward, who nearly had the final say. A swerving shot from 25 yards nearly caught Dmitrovic out, but the big Serbian tipped the ball onto the underside of the bar, the final whistle following shortly afterwards.
With five games to go, Espanyol remain 13th with a five-point gap to Sevilla in 18th, but their inability to win in 2026 makes that position even more precarious. The two sides face off in two weeks time, and Gonzalez will hope to have the fans back on side for that game, with the players whistled at the end of the match. Levante are just a point behind Sevilla, and have lost just one of their last eight. Castro’s side are two points from safety, and he will hope he does not look back on that final Alvarez shot with regret.
