Espanyol beat Oviedo 2-0 to move into La Liga top five

Espanyol beat Real Oviedo 2-0 at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere on Friday, scoring twice late in the second half to secure victory and move into the top five of La Liga. Kike Garcia bundled home the opener as Oviedo failed to clear a cutback, and Pere Milla finished from close range after a low cross from Omar El Hilali to settle the match.

The game began with a brief, symbolic stoppage when players from both teams stood still for the first 15 seconds to protest plans to stage the Barcelona versus Villarreal fixture in Miami. The players union said the action was meant to denounce what it called "the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence" in the league's handling of the proposal. Broadcast footage of the protest was limited, with television cameras showing exterior shots of the stadium.

On the field, neither side produced much in the way of sustained chances for long stretches, with goalkeeper Aaron Escandell making a series of saves to keep Oviedo competitive. Espanyol gradually grew into the match and began to exert more pressure in the final quarter, creating a sequence of chances that culminated in the opening goal. After Oviedo briefly pushed for an equalizer, Espanyol...