Cabrera's Second-Half Strike Ends Espanyol's Winless Run at Villarreal

Espanyol finally have something to celebrate. Leandro Cabrera's second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory at Villarreal on Friday night, ending a six-match winless run and giving the visitors precious breathing room above the relegation zone in LaLiga. The decisive moment arrived on the hour mark. Bryan Zaragoza delivered a precise cross into the penalty area, and central defender Cabrera, arriving unmarked, met it cleanly to drive his shot past the Villarreal defence. It was a goal built on timing and nerve, and it proved enough in a tense closing half-hour at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The win comes at a turbulent moment for Espanyol, who arrived under severe pressure after the dismissal of head coach Manolo González following a Copa del Rey elimination against Sestao River. A first win since September 12 changes the mood, at least for a weekend, and lifts a side that had been sliding toward trouble. For Villarreal, the defeat is a third of the campaign on home soil and a check on their momentum, with a UEFA Champions League meeting against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon. They dominated long spells but could not find a way through, and Cabrera's single moment of quality settled a match that had looked destined for a draw.