Osasuna 2-0 Espanyol

Espanyol suffered a new disappointment as they fell to defeat at fellow strugglers Osasuna in La Liga.

The Barcelona-based side beat relegation-threatened Zaragoza at home last weekend, but had lost five of their previous six matches and this game would prove another tough test to the Catalans' survival credentials.

They struggled from the outset against a spirited Osasuna side, who had already held both Barcelona and Real Madrid and the Reyno de Navarra this season.

Both of the goals came early on as Osasuna wrapped up the game within eight minutes.

Juanfran Torres gave the northerners the lead after just six minutes, before former Espanyol striker Walter Pandiani headed a second shortly afterwards to give Jose Antonio Camacho's side a precious two-goal lead which they held onto through a spell of sustained pressure from the visitors in the second half.

By then, both sides were playing with 10 men following the dismissals of Osasuna's Ruper after 40 minutes, and Espanyol's Facundo Roncaglia shortly into the second period.

The Catalans had the better of the second half but their lack of firepower in front of goal came back to haunt them and Osasuna secured a vital victory which sees them move provisionally six points clear of the drop zone.

The Navarrans had begun the day just three points above 18th-placed Malaga, while Espanyol were only two points better off.

The locals threatened virtually straight away, when Carlos Aranda forced a fine save out of Espanyol keeper Cristian Alvarez - in for Cameroon's Carlos Kameni, who is away at the African Cup of Nations.

It was a warning and Espanyol did not get another one because the next time the hosts attacked, they went ahead.

Osasuna played a short corner and Juanfran controlled neatly before unleashing a low-angled drive into the far corner.

Alvarez should probably have saved, but was distracted by the presence of Aranda, who did not make contact in the end.

Things then went from bad to worse for Espanyol as they fell further behind shortly afterwards.

This was even more direct than last time, with Pandiani leaping tremendously to power a header past Alvarez from Javier Camunas' cross.

The Catalans were struggling to create anything of note and had to wait until the 39th minute for their first real chance, when Ben Sahar fired wide with a decent effort.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were boosted a minute later, though, when Ruper was sent off for a second yellow card after scything down Fernando Marques.

But luck was not on their side when play resumed, as Roncaglia was controversially dismissed for an innocuous-looking foul on Aranda five minutes into the second half.

Espanyol will feel rightly aggrieved as Roncaglia had not even committed the foul, with the referee confusing the central defender and full-back David Garcia.

Perhaps fired up by that injustice, the Catalans dominated the rest of the match.

But Pareja, Ferran Corominas and new signing Dani Osvaldo were all denied and Osasuna held on for three precious points.