Villarreal travelled to Barcelona hoping to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches against lowly Espanyol.
Despite trailing twice, the visitors managed just that, securing a 2-2 draw.
Goals from Felipe Caicedo and Gerard Moreno, either side of a Manu Trigueros strike, had given Los Periquitos the lead going in to the final few minutes of the match, but in the 88th minute, up popped Mateo Musacchio from a corner to head home and get his side a draw.
Espanyol came out firing from the outset and it took just four minutes for the home side to take the lead. Caicedo received the ball in between the midfield and defensive lines of Villarreal and, despite pressure from numerous players, forced his way through on goal by sheer strength. It was then only a matter of slotting home past Alphonse Areola and the Ecuadorian delivered.
The Yellow Submarine turned on the flair for the equaliser as a direct ball from Bruno got the most delicate of flicks from Roberto Soldado. The former Tottenham striker, with his back to goal, flicked the ball around the corner for Trigueros who side-footed home.
Villarreal old boy Moreno got in on the action before the close of the first half. Burgui, bursting down the wing for Espanyol, crossed into a static Villarreal back line which was penetrated by their ex-forward for 2-1.
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In a game not lacking action, it took until the 88th minute for the away side to make their dominant possession count. A whipped corner by Villarreal found Musacchio, locked in a tussle with Papa Diop, who leapt higher than his Senegalese opponent and put the ball past Pau Lopez.
The home side did not take to the equaliser kindly, with mass protests seeing Joan Jordan booked and Moreno ejected from the game.
Settling for a point does not benefit either side much with Villarreal’s gap in fourth shortened by the chasing pack. Meanwhile Espanyol, continue to sit just four points off relegation in a congested bottom half of the table.
Bailly looks a liability
His early-season form was promising and while he did make a few mistakes in the first half of the season that led to opposition chances or even goals, it could be drawn to his youth and inexperience. But as the season has worn on, the excuses for Eric Bailly have dried up.
Having lost his place in the starting XI thanks to the return of Musacchio, Bailly was presented an opportunity to start for the first time since 13 December. Victor Ruiz, who picked up his fifth booking of the season against Betis, was unavailable, so the 21-year-old should have relished the chance to start.
What he showed his manager was not that of a player pushing to be included in the first team, but one that has a lot of development to go through before he will even be thought of again.
Arguably at fault for both goals, the Ivorian miscued his tackle on Caicedo for the first which left him lying on the ground watching the Ecuadorian stroll through, and then losing Moreno for the second as the Espanyol forward got goal-side to slot home.
The youngster could also have given away a penalty for a tackle on Caicedo and all of this was achieved in just the opening stanza before being replaced by Daniele Bonera at the break.
Moreno failed to prove a point
The forward began the preseason looking to have solidified a partnership with Leo Baptistao and ended it with a new partner in a new home with Caicedo in Espanyol. It was against Villarreal that Moreno played his first 90 minutes of the season and he did not impress.
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Having only scored two goals all season before this game, Moreno has a point to prove to all involved.
The Spaniard worked for his team but even though his performance included a goal it was clear to see that Marcelino had made the right choice for his team having essentially swapped Moreno for Cedric Bakambu, who despite having a quiet game, leads his side in goals this season with eight in the league.
Moreno also showed his tempestuous nature with his blow-up following Villarreal’s late equaliser, meaning the referee had no choice but to send off the former Amarillo.
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