Espanyol Hold Barcelona To Copa Del Rey Stalemate

Espanyol grabbed a deserved draw against Barcelona in Mauricio Pochettino's first match in charge, as they more than matched their more illustrious opponents in the Catalan derby.

The home side looked completely different from their past games this year as they played with determination and desire, pressing Barcelona all over the pitch.

However, they could not manage to beat José Pinto to give themselves a lead heading into the second-leg at the Camp Nou next week.

For Barcelona it was a much changed side from La Liga, and they didn't look themselves throughout, as Espanyol took control for large periods of the encounter.

First-Half

With a new coach in charge Espanyol came out all guns blazing in front of their home fans, bursting forward from the start, and winning a corner inside 15 seconds. With nine changes in the Barcelona side they looked a little unsettled for once, and Espanyol continued to press them, looking hungry and determined.

Luis García especially looked dangerous and put a good ball into the box for José Callejón to head towards goal, but José Pinto was up to the task as he held onto the ball. Despite the huge gap between the sides in La Liga, the match was fairly even in the opening exchanges, and Barcelona had to wait until mid-way through the half to test Carlos Kameni, when Andrés Iniesta fired a shot at the 'keeper.

Indeed, with a passionate home crowd behind them and Pochettino urging them on from the bench, Espanyol looked like a new team, and they were pushing forward in attack willingly. Barcelona on the other hand looked sloppy in possession in times and could well have gone in trailing at the break, had Luis García not shot just wide of the post when he drove across goal.

Nevertheless, it was a promising start under the new coach and unlike many had predicted they went in at the break having outplayed their opponents for much of the opening period.

Second-Half

The rhythm of the game did not change after the interval either, with Espanyol coming out with the same attitude and desire that had served them so well in the opening half. Pochettino barked orders from the touchline as Nené tested Pinto from outside the box with a sharp shot that the 'keeper clutched well.

The Brazilian should have done better minutes later when he played a nice one-two with Luis García, but rushed his cross and blasted it over the box when in a good position. Up front for Barcelona Bojan Krkic showed some nice touches and skill, but too often did not have the support around him to link-up with.

Predictably, the match did get heated with 25 minutes left, as first Román clattered Andrés Iniesta, and then Víctor Sánchez tackled Nené from behind, which earned him a booking. In a bid to try and snatch a goal, Pep Guardiola threw on Xavi to replace Eidur Gudjohnsen, but Barcelona, and especially Aliaksandr Hleb, were giving away possession too easily in attacking positions.

Similarly, Espanyol could not string anything together in the final third, despite the fact that they managed to break on a couple of occasions. Even the introduction of Lionel Messi could not spark life into Barcelona, as the game finished goalless, leaving both sides with work to do when they meet next week.

For Full Match Stats Please Click Here...

James Walker-Roberts, Goal.com