BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Espanyol scored twice in the first half then held on to defeat Celta Vigo 2-1 for its first win in the Spanish league on Monday.
The Catalan club moved off the bottom of the standings after earning only one point from its first three games.
“We needed this victory to regain our confidence,” Espanyol forward Gerard Moreno said. “The team deserved it, and it was good that it came at home, in front of our fans.”
Espanyol jumped to 16th place, one point ahead of Celta, whose only win came against Alaves in the previous round.
“We needed to score to get back into the match but our goal came too late,” Celta forward Iago Aspas said.
Moreno put Espanyol ahead with a low shot from just inside the area. Pablo Piatti added to the lead midway through the first half with a cross shot into the far corner following a fast breakaway.
Defender Andreu Fontas scored Celta’s lone goal in the second half.
Barcelona leads the league after winning its first four matches. Unbeaten Sevilla is two points back in second place. Defending champion Real Madrid is fourth, three points behind Barcelona.
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