Espanyol snatch late 1-1 draw with Sevilla as Marcos Fernández strikes in the 97th minute

Espanyol snatched a breathless draw at Cornellà. Marcos Fernández appeared in the 97th minute to cancel out a goal from Stassin, who had put Sevilla ahead in the 85th despite playing with ten men for more than 40 minutes. Manolo González's side missed a clear advantage after the visitors' red card and even had a goal disallowed by VAR, but they managed to save a point in a chaotic contest.

• Marcos Fernández scored in the 97th minute to earn Espanyol a 1-1 draw.
• Stassin gave Sevilla the lead in the 85th after a defensive mistake by Hinojo.
• Sevilla played with ten men from the 56th minute after Sangante's straight red card.
• Omar had a brilliant goal ruled out in the 61st minute for an offside call involving Marcos.
• Bryan Zaragoza made his Espanyol debut in the second half.

Manolo González makes key changes as Cabrera and Moscardo return

Manolo González shook up his side after the defeat at Anoeta with two notable changes. Leandro Cabrera returned to the starting line-up after serving a suspension, an expected move, while Moscardo came in for Urko, who paid the price for the loss against Real Sociedad.

The game started at a high tempo. Cala produced an early incursion that led to a dangerous free kick in the second minute, a clear sign that Espanyol wanted to take the initiative. But that early energy did not turn into clear chances, and Sevilla gradually pulled the match level.

A flat first half with more cards than clear openings

Sevilla began to control the game through a high press that suffocated Espanyol's build-up play. The home midfield struggled to find any rhythm: Edu Expósito, Cala and Javi Hernández could not link up with any real danger, and the attack faded.

Cala, Javi Hernández and Roberto all tried their luck without ever truly troubling the Sevilla goalkeeper. The match lost its flow amid interruptions and niggly fouls, with the visitors' aggressive midfield winning the physical battle. Espanyol reached half-time with just one shot on target, not enough for a home crowd that was already showing signs of frustration.

Sangante sent off and Omar denied by VAR

The second half initially followed a similar pattern. Luis García Plaza turned to his bench and introduced Fofana and Stassin, two signings who would soon change the game. But first came the moment that could have turned everything in Espanyol's favour.

In the 56th minute, Roberto surged forward and, as he reached the edge of the box, Sangante swept him down. The referee had no doubts and showed a straight red card. Sevilla were down to ten and Espanyol had a dangerous free kick, but they wasted the opportunity.

The reward seemed to arrive five minutes later. Omar latched onto a delivery from Javi Hernández and unleashed a ferocious right-footed strike into the top corner. The celebrations were wild, but the referee went to the monitor after a VAR check and ruled the goal out. Marcos Fernández, who had just come on, was in an offside position and was blocking the last Sevilla defender. The goal was chalked off and fury swept through the home bench.

Stassin punishes a Hinojo error and silences the RCDE Stadium

Despite being a man down, Sevilla did not sit back. Dmitrovic produced a fine save to deny Stassin after a pass from Guridi in the 67th minute, a warning of what was to come. Espanyol pushed forward with more heart than precision, and Manolo went for a bold substitution.

Bryan Zaragoza made his debut in the 75th minute, greeted by a huge ovation. Omar was the player sacrificed in a clear attacking move that pushed Dolan into a deeper role. Espanyol poured forward, but Sevilla defended with resilience and courage.

The punishment came in the 85th minute. Hinojo headed the ball backwards, Stassin pounced and beat Dmitrovic to make it 0-1. The blow hit hard in the stands, and fans began heading for the exits. With nine minutes of added time to play, Espanyol threw everything at the visitors' box with more spirit than structure.

Marcos Fernández rescues a dramatic point in the 97th minute

With the game on its last breath, Marcos Fernández popped up in the area and, with his second close-range effort, beat Vlachodimos to make it 1-1. It was the reward for a chaotic but relentless final push. There was no time for anything else as the match ended amid local euphoria for the saved point and a lingering feeling of a missed opportunity.

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