With Eder Sarabia watching from the stands and Jon López taking charge on the touchline, Espanyol pressed forward and tested Román repeatedly in the first half. The goalkeeper kept the visitors level, while the second half became more evenly contested after a series of changes.
Sarabia believed his team had done enough to win.
“I think we clearly imposed ourselves on the opposition, who were uncomfortable throughout,” he said. “They did not create any clear goalscoring opportunities. We did, and their goalkeeper was their best player in particular.”
The Espanyol coach was encouraged by the territory his side controlled and the speed with which they recovered possession.
“We played a lot in the opposition half, we dominated quite a lot and we won the ball back quickly,” he said. “The team showed what we wanted to see on the pitch. It is a shame that we did not get the victory, because I think we deserved it.”
Sarabia also identified areas for improvement in possession.
“There are still things for us to work on, but the team gave a very good account of itself. It deserves a very high mark,” he said.
He also praised Roberto Fernández for his decision-making in attacking areas.
“A striker should never be selfish. The forward has to make the right choice,” Sarabia said. “If he should finish and passes, that is not quite right; if he should pass and shoots, that is not right either. I do not think he was simply being generous. He made the right decisions.”
Deportivo coach Antonio Hidalgo was satisfied with a point and a clean sheet, while acknowledging that his team had been made uncomfortable by Espanyol’s intensity.
“I am happy with the point and with keeping a clean sheet,” he said. “We had to anticipate how they might play because we did not know what approach Espanyol would take. I am pleased because we competed, and that is important.”
“It is a very difficult ground. We were very uncomfortable during the match. Eder Sarabia’s teams are very intense and they put you under stress,” Hidalgo added.
He admitted there had been refereeing decisions with which he disagreed, but did not allow them to overshadow his assessment.
“There were refereeing situations I did not agree with, but overall it is a good point,” he said. Deportivo took four points from their previous two matches and left Barcelona with a result Hidalgo considered worthwhile.