Osasuna moved to within two points of fifth-placed Levante this evening with a 2-0 win over nine-man Espanyol.
The match started slowly as both sides looked to ease themselves into the game, a theme that continued throughout the first half as they struggled to create clear cut chances.
This was not the case in the second period, however, as the home side took the lead within 10 minutes of the restart when Manuel Ortiz Toribio found Raul Garcia who made no mistake with his effort.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors minutes later when Coutinho was shown a second yellow card to give Espanyol a mountain to climb.
Osasuna extended their lead 15 minutes later, and it was Raul Garcia who struck once again, netting his and his side's second of the match.
A miserable day for Espanyol was capped off five minutes from time when they had another man sent off, this time Juan Daniel Forlín seeing a second yellow before receiving his marching orders.
The result doesn't change either team's position in the Primera Division table, with Espanyol remaining ninth, now four points behind sixth-placed Osasuna.
Barney Corkhill
