Nolito gets a great ball from Navas, finds himself in great position but puts it just over the bar. Great chance wasted.
Kounde on for the injured Diego Carlos and Gudelj on for Torres in the 76’
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Reguilon with a shot wide. All the good opportunities have come from that left side today. Nolito was provider on the Reguilon shot.
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There ya go! Nolito the man of the preseason keeps it going in the 87’ minute with a goal. A great throw in finds Nolito and space and he makes Naldo look silly. He deserved a goal and he got it!
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Absolutely brilliant! Great result this!
I hope nolito stays, the fact he played today suggests he might!
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I don’t think there is any doubt that he’s with us for the season now.
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FT! Man of the match no doubt Reguilon. Nolito was great, Jordan great, De Jong good, Navas good, Ocampos good, Carrico rock! Overall good performance. Lots of attack from the left side, most chances coming from the wings.
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The secret to success on the road is to have boring results like this one. Made the most of our chances and Espanyol never got a sniff. Great debut goal for Reguilón. Nolito scoring was just poetic justice.
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A nice opening day win!
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Yep, it’s nice to get a clean sheet away too! We haven’t got many of them in last few seasons! Promising signs and we move on!
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I really hope you’re right Chris, a player of such quality with a price tag less than €4m, Nolito is worth that for 1 season, he’s showing signs that he’s re-adjusted to Spanish football.
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Just came home from an abroad trip and couldn’t watch the match while traveling - but great news to come home to! Absolutely fantastic.
Some weirdness is evident in the call-ups (e.g. Dabbur) but there’s still time to make things right, the victory provides some breathing space.
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Saw the first half before going to bed and most parts of the team were impressive, Regullion came out of the gates with a point to prove and almost didn’t stop running till the final whistle, he definitely adds more dimension and purpose to the attack while Nolito almost looked like the Nolito who won games for Celta three seasons ago.
Joan Jordan and Fernando tidied up most of the midfield, I understand why the latter drops so deep it was like a third CB, this is necessary if Regullion and Navas have bombed up the field and only two CBs are left in the back, Fernando or Carrico can play as a sweeper for any through-balls or runners, an effective but risky tactic that needs time to implement.
Oliver Torres tried to make things happen but perhaps La Liga teams like closing down more so having less time on the ball put him off his rhythm. He’ll adjust soon and find ways to improve, in the meantime I think Nolito could play center attacking mid if Banega and Torres are injured/suspended (I have left Mudo out there on purpose), he might not be able to take on fullbacks for a full match and playing in the middle could really let him pull the strings and maximize his football intelligence. Him linking up with Ocampos and Lopes would be really enticing to watch.
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the only problem is; i don’t think he has much of a left foot so if he gets on the weak foot he is limited. He really has that one move of cutting inside to the right from the left flank and cranking it into the corner.
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Right, and i feel he got that goal because he was up against the likes of Naldo. Not to mention how much slower he’s become.
Either way, i still see him as a better option for next game. There are things that experienced players bring in terms of managing a game. That’s invaluable, especially when you have to see youngsters learn as they go — as was the case when we had Tucu Correa.
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