Cadiz beat Espanyol in Copa del Rey clash

Cadiz prevailed 2-1 over Espanyol in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 tie.

The hosts, who sit 19th in the Spanish second division, were impressive during Thursday night's match against an Espanyol side occupying the fifth spot in the top division La Liga, reports Efe.

Cadiz started brightly and took the lead in the 1st minute when forward Dejan Lekic exploited a defensive lapse, while Espanyol's first chance didn't come until the 19th minute.

Cadiz goalkeeper David Gil thwarted Javier Puado in the 26th minute before conceding the equaliser to the Espanyol midfielder 10 minutes later.

The deadlock was short lived, however, as Cadiz's Karim Azamoum scored in the 41st minute to restore the lead.

Both teams opted for direct football in the second half and Espanyol's Victor narrowly missed with a strike in the 48th minute before Lekic fired over the cross-bar and lost the duel with visiting goalkeeper Roberto on a second occasion.

With 17 minutes left in the regulation period, Espanyol coach Joan Francesc Ferrer turned to the team's top scorer, Borja Iglesias, in a bid to salvage a draw. But the closest the La Liga side came was a shot by Puado that sailed high over the net in the 81st minute.

--IANS

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