Within Espanyol, the importance of the fans is pointed out as a mantra, the force of sentiment that tends to raise the performance of the players. The pandemic emptied the stands and the team descended. This Saturday, silence once again presided over, now due to suspension, the Blue and Whites' debut in the Second Division at the Stage Front Stadium. Without the heat of the parakeet fans, Luis García's pupils continued without taking flight, signing a gray match against Racing Santander, but they took the three points thanks to their greater skill in front of goal.
The new signing Pere Milla shouted the first goal in the 6th minute. The Catalan headed into the near post after a corner kick. Braithwaite was able to increase the rent four minutes later. After the sad tables in Albacete, the blue and white machinery seemed oiled before a crouching Cantabrian team from the start, unable to cross the midfield.
"Get up, I haven't even touched you," Calero told Peque, the most skilled of the visitors, in Racing's first offensive action in the 16th minute. It was the start of the Santanderian step forward and the regression of the parrots, lost in a sea of mistakes Despite this, Braithwaite was able to score with a header and then Melamed was slow with everything in his favour.
José Alberto's men began to combine judiciously in three quarters of the field. Pacheco, however, was watched from the three sticks until on the stroke of halftime Íñigo Vicente, in an oversight of Óscar Gil in a throw-in, tested the goalkeeper's gloves with a heeled shot. In the addition, the 10 had a clearer shot centered inside the area.
The right wing of Espanyol paid the piper, substituted Óscar Gil and Lazo in the intermission, as well as Edu Expósito. After the break, the locals picked up the pace and the game became rougher. Only Milla and Braithwaite found some clarity. In a gallop down the left, the man from ilerdense put the goal on a plate for the recently admitted Jofre, who ran into Ezkieta.
Braithwaite did not fail in the next action, after the hour of play, and taking advantage of the defensive passivity, he scored the second with a free shot in the area. With the duel decided, the game opened, with little presence from the midfield, and only poor aim prevented more goals from being seen. Salvi Sánchez, announced his signing this Saturday, looked at him from the box. In addition to the winger, there will be more additions to a Espanyol that already knows the victory but still does not catch the tone of the category.
Check all the results of the Hypermotion League.
Spanish: Pacheco; Óscar Gil (El Hilal, min.45), Calero, Cabrera, Brian Oliván; Pol Lozano, Edu Expósito (Keidi Bare, min.45), Nico Melamed (José Gragera, min.88); Pere Milla (Dimata, min.71), Lazo (Jofre Carreras, min.45) and Braithwaite.
Santander Racing: Jokin Edge; Mantilla, Germain, Reuben Alves, Saul; Sainz-Maza (Ivan Morante, min.58), Aldasoro (Matheus Aiás, min.85), Small (Cedric Omoigui, min.85); Sangalli, Ekain (Junior Lake, min.58) and Vincent.
Goals: 1-0: Pere Milla, min.5. 2-0: Braithwaite, min.67.
Referee: González Francés (ESP). He showed yellow card to Ekain, min.1, Aldasoro, min.46 and Pere Milla, min.54.
Incidents: 2nd day of LaLiga Hypermotion played at the Stage Front Stadium without spectators. The match was played behind closed doors due to the sanction following the invasion of the pitch that took place at Espanyol-FCBarcelona on May 14 in the match corresponding to matchday 34 of LaLiga Santander.
