Deportivo: Deportivo La Coruna had to settle for a goalless draw here against Espanyol in a La Liga match that saw the home side hit the post twice and fail to convert on a penalty.
Deportivo, winless in their last 10 matches, remain in the La Liga drop zone, 10 points from safety after 25 matches after the goalless draw at A Coruña’s Razor stadium on Friday.
For Espanyol, it was their four straight draw and seventh consecutive game without a victory, but they remain fairly comfortable in the 15th spot, with 28 points.
The hosts, in their second outing under new coach Clarence Seedorf, tried to set a tone for the contest with an early onslaught that forced Espanyol keeper Diego Lopez to make a stop inside the first minute on a strike from distance by Pedro Mosquera.
Espanyol got their first chance in the 24th minute, when Esteban Granero’s cross found Leo Baptistao unmarked at the far post only for the striker to send the ball over the cross-bar.
Unable to play out from the back, Deportivo came to rely on deep balls from keeper Ruben Martinez that almost invariably ceded possession to Espanyol.
In Bundesliga, Wolfsburg’s new coach Bruno Labbadia was unable to force an improvement as his side was held at relegation rival Mainz to 1-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Labbadia was appointed on Tuesday following Martin Schmidt’s surprise resignation the day before. Schmidt, who led Wolfsburg to 11 draws in 18 league games, said he wanted to reduce the pressure ahead of the clash with Mainz, his former club.
The draw will do little to ease either side’s relegation worries with 10 games for both remaining. Mainz moved one point above the relegation zone while Wolfsburg stayed a point ahead of Mainz.
Montpellier’s defence held out again in a 0-0 draw at Strasbourg in the French league on Friday.
Montpellier has the second best defence in the league, with only 21 goals conceded in 27 games, and was rarely threatened by a subdued home side.
Instead, Montpellier could have won the game but striker Giovanni Sio’s coolly taken lob in the 84th minute was ruled out for offside. Replays showed he was onside when he made his initial run.
