Osasuna 4-0 Espanyol - Nekounam at the double

Javad Nekounam struck a brace as Osasuna got off to the perfect start under new coach Jose Luis Mendilibar with an impressive 4-0 win over Espanyol at the Reyno de Navarra.

The Iran midfielder headed the northerners into the lead early on and ensured the Pamplona-based side would move out of the drop zone with a second from the penalty spot in the second half.

But there was more to come in the closing stages, when Lolo and Fernando Soriano added a goal apiece to make it a debut to remember for Basque coach Mendilibar, who had taken over from previous boss Jose Antonio Camacho earlier on in the week.

With Osasuna down in the bottom three at the start of play, Mendilibar had spoken in the build-up to this game of his hopes of making an immediate impact.

And he had to wait just 14 minutes as Nekounam headed the home side in front from a corner taken by his countryman Masoud Shojaei.

Walter Pandiani missed a great chance to double the home side's lead later in the half and Nekounam came close following another corner shortly before the interval.

But the Iran midfielder did make it two nine minutes after the restart, when he sent his spot-kick straight down the middle and past Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni after Aldo Duscher had been penalised for a blatant handball in the area.

The home side went three up as Lolo fired home from close range following another well-worked corner.

And substitute Soriano then made it four with two minutes left as he latched onto Masoud's cross to slot home with a left-footed shot to round off a memorable evening for the home fans - and for Mendilibar.

Osasuna are now two points clear of the drop zone, in 14th, while Espanyol remain in sixth, nine adrift of fourth-placed Villarreal.