Espanyol prevail in thrilling relegation six-pointer

Castro opens scoring

A predatory effort broke the deadlock in Gijon, where the hosts forged ahead. Carlos Castro hit home on the follow-up after Isma Lopez drove into the box following some fine interplay and saw his cross parried by Pau Lopez. 

Burgui levels

The youngster did it all himself, embarking on a sensational run that ended with the ball in the back of the net. Burgui set off just outside the area and jinked past three defenders before beating Ivan Cuellar to bring RCD Espanyol level and get his team believing again. 

Gerard Moreno puts visitors in control

The forward sealed the turnaround with a brace at the beginning of the second half. His first goal came just after the restart with a finish from point-blank range after a team move, while his second was a curling left-footed screamer in the 59th minute that seemed to have settled the contest.

Castro on target again

Abelardo Fernandez's men, well aware of the importance of the match, did not let their heads drop and reduced the arrears with a second effort from Castro. The academy graduate was in the right place at the right time to nod Jony's superb cross into the net. 

Pau Lopez comes up strong

Sporting could have restored parity with a scrappy strike from their very next attack, only to be thwarted by an excellent save from the Espanyol goalkeeper. This only served to spur on the Asturians, who laid siege to Lopez's goal in search of an equaliser. 

The clincher

Some great wing play from Marco Asensio finally put the result to bed. His attempted cross was closed down by Luis Hernandez, whose unfortunate deflection took the ball spinning into his own net and condemned his team to a 4-2 defeat.