Espanyol 0 - 0 Villarreal: Villarreal maintain unbeaten start with stalemate at Espanyol

Posted Monday, October 03, 2016 by PA

Villarreal remain unbeaten in LaLiga after securing a goalless draw away to Espanyol.

The Yellow Submarine's journeys this week had taken them from Bucharest, where they drew 1-1 with Steaua in the Europa League on Thursday night, to Barcelona and a point apiece with Quique Sanchez Flores' men was probably the correct result on the balance of play.

Espanyol edged out of the relegation zone with the point, but still have just one win to their name after seven matches.

Jose Antonio Reyes was the first to try his luck for the hosts in the 12th minute and Nicola Sansone was off target at the other end after good approach work from Jaume Costa.

Villarreal were dominating possession but the home side were showing the greater potency. Espanyol forward Gerard Moreno was just wide as he tried to catch Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo off his line and Felipe Caicedo also had a shot deflected off-target.

Villarreal's best chance of the first period came with six minutes of the half remaining, but Samu Castillejo could only direct a shot straight at Espanyol goalkeeper Diego Lopez after Victor Ruiz's pass appeared to have unlocked the home defence.

Asenjo pulled off a wonderful save to keep out a shot from Hernan Perez eight minutes into the second half and Jonathan dos Santos headed Costa's cross from the left wide four minutes later for the visitors.

Roberto Soriano failed to get a shot away in the 66th minute after good approach work from Manu Trigueros and Dos Santos blasted another chance over 11 minutes later as the game petered out.