Espanyol returns to the fight. Ramis' project begins to take off. A brace from Braithwaite before half an hour was enough to put doubts at rest and he would see himself up again, one point behind second place, which is also worth the long-awaited direct promotion.
Intensity, verticality, efficiency and seriousness. Those four ideas were a good letter of introduction for the new coach, unlike what was seen in Huesca in his debut.
Two streaks were broken in Cornellà. Espanyol had gone four games without winning, while Elche had gone six games without defeat. Well, the locals turned around their delicate situation while the visitors saw their good moment, which had allowed them to re-engage in the fight for promotion, come to an end.
The blue and white victory rounded off a favorable day for the parakeet interests, who were the only team from the upper zone that won. None of the first three added three points and Zaragoza and Tenerife also lost presumably simple duels.
Experts in making life difficult for themselves in the recent past, Espanyol had a solid and convincing performance. The team needed it and so did its fans, after a lost month, including the dismissal of Luis García.
If anything was clear, it is that, under Ramis' orders, Espanyol will not be a team that waits or goes out to see them coming. No, the parakeet players bit Elche from the beginning and showed their fangs. None sharper than Braithwaite, who took on scoring responsibility without Puado. In the absence of the Second Division top scorer, the Danish striker, with the power that characterizes him, showed himself as a skilled and reliable stiletto. His double put land in the middle, a distance that Elche was never in a position to make Pacheco uncomfortable.
Since October 5, Braithwaite has not scored from a play. But the first two that he had yesterday he sent to the back of the net. He didn't mind being centered from the left, like in the first goal, where he headed a shot from Oliván, or being assisted from the right, like in the second goal, when he received from Expósito and with great oriented control he entered the area. and he shot San Román with a right hand.
Espanyol has injured, in addition to Puado, Melamed and Pol Lozano, perhaps its two most talented midfielders, but in Aguado it found a creator who gives a lot of rhythm and mobility to the game. The Andalusian did not play a single minute in Huesca and instead led the team with discretion.
A good discovery for Ramis, who is on the take-off ramp thanks to Braithwaite but who could not get Milla to regain her sense of smell. It was Keita Baldé, his substitute, who was closest to the third but the post left him without the icing on the cake.
Espanyol: Pacheco, El Hilali (Óscar Gil 84), Calero, Cabrera, B. Oliván, Gragera, Aguado, Edu Expósito, Jofre Carreras (Salvi Sánchez 69), Pere Milla (Keita Baldé 84) and Braithwaite (Sergi Gómez 89)
Coach: Luis Miguel Ramis
Elche: San Roman, Josan, Mario Gaspar, Diego Glez., Clerc, Nico (Castro 64), Phebas, Raul Guti (White 54), Tete Morente (Fidel Chaves 84), Oscar Plano (Borja Garces 64) and Mourad (Benaisa). 84) Coach: Sebastian Beccacece
Estadio: Stage Front Stadium (19.617 espectadores)
Referee: Moreno Aragón (Madrid c.)
Cards: Admonished Calero, Cabrera, Grajera, Josan, Clerc
Goles: 1-0 Braithwaite (14), 2-0 Braithwaite (22).
