Espanyol hosted Mallorca in a vital clash at the bottom of the La Liga table.
Mallorca went into half time ahead after goals from Giovani dos Santos and Javi Marquez overturned a Simao free-kick.
However, the hosts responded with a second-half fightback with a Joan Verdu penalty and a late winner from Raul Baena.
Read below how the action unfolded with our live commentary.
Good evening all. Welcome to tonight's La Liga action.
We have an interesting encounter tonight. These two sides are showing fight in the relegation battle and both are on good form coming into this.
Team news coming right up.
ESPANYOL XI: Casilla; Lopez, Moreno, Colotto, Capdevila; Baena, Forlin, Simao, Verdu, Rui Fonte; Sergio Garcia
MALLORCA XI: Aouate; T. Pina, Pereira, Nsue, Giovani; Marquez, Geromel, Nunes, Casadesus; Luna, Kevin
Mallorca have slipped into the bottom three in the last game week, so will be looking to bounce straight back out with a win to start the La Liga weekend.
They also hold the unenviable stat of having the longest streak without winning in the league this season. That was a miserable 11 games but they have two wins out of their last four.
They aren't helped by being without top scorer Tomer Hemed from the start tonight. He has seven goals in the league, but only makes the bench today.
For the hosts, their top scorer is the excellent Joan Verdu. When he's on form Espanyol often play well.
With five minutes to go let's have a quick peek at tonight's odds.
The favourites, Espanyol, can be had at around evens with most leading bookies.
If you want a punt on the visitors, they can be had at about 3-1. That's worth a shot if you ask me - I'm going 2-1 to the visitors.
Espanyol to kick us off...
Espanyol pressing early on and win a corner, but Lopez gives it straight to Luna, however he takes it back out of play.
Espanyol looking for Verdu at every opportunity early on, he's dictating the early action.
It has been a very slow-paced start to this game. After the early Espanyol passing Mallorca are now pinging it about in the midfield. However it breaks down.
Verdu has been bundled over a couple of times already. Mallorca are getting very tight to the home dangerman.
Lopez loses the ball down the right-hand side, but his teammates help him out with some fine pressure.
Crunching tackle from Forlin here. He absolutely flew in and caught his man recklessly, pretty much in the face.
Remember, Espanyol's former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked in November, was today unveiled as the new boss of Southampton. Here's the story on that one.
First corner of the evening here as Sergio Garcia does well on the left to earn it off Pina's touch.
Mallorca now looking to get on the ball a bit. There's not been a chance so far in this one. It's been a display of both sides trying to keep possession and tight defending all round.
Giovani loops one over the bar from just outside the box. A very ambitious effort there with his back to goal and it wasn't even close.
Garcia links up well with Verdu, but the latter's snap-shot is blocked. I don't think it was on target anyway.
Espanyol are bossing this in the middle in the opening 10 minutes. Verdu tries again from the right this time but is crowded out.
CHANCE! Dos Santos is threaded through but is forced wide by Hector Moreno. Eventually he attempts a cross-shot from the angle but scoops it into space. No teammates were anywhere near.
GOAL! Espanyol 1-0 Mallorca (Simao)
Oh my word, what a hit from Simao! They won a free-kick from about 25 yards and Simao steps up to fire into the side netting. Perhaps the goalkeeper could have done better, but it was struck very well indeed.
They're looking comfortable out there now. Verdu finds Garcia down the right, and the ponytailed striker forces a corner.
Verdu encouraged to shoot as the corner is headed out to him, but he turns down the chance and Mallorca manage to clear their lines. It's coming right back, though.
Joan Capdevila plays a neat one-two with Simao and finds space to cross, but it's too close to Aouate in the Mallorca goal.
The 21st minute is dedicated to Daniel Jarque. The Espanyol crowd applaud the entire minute for the late Jarque, who tragically died on the pitch three seasons ago. Respectfully observed by Mallorca.
Mallorca have been completely toothless in attack up to this point. Dos Santos has been lively, but there's not been a lot of support for him. As I say that Kevin strikes from range, but it was not very close.
Good work by Dos Santos on the left. He digs out a cross which is cleared for a corner by Capdevila.
The Mexican whips it in and it almost surprises Casilla in the Espanyol goal. He came off his line but got back to comfortably claim the corner that was bending in.
YELLOW CARD! Cynical challenge from Verdu, who can have no complaints bringing down Pina.
Verdu has played well, despite that booking. He's roaming the space left to right in behind Garcia and looking to dictate.
Pereira has a chance with a snap-shot just then, but his effort is blocked. He was found by Dos Santos.
Capdevila penalised for a foul to the left of his box. Didn't look to be a lot in that but Dos Santos can bend this in with his left. He again gets too much on it and Casilla was once more off his line but it sails harmlessly wide.
CHANCE! Verdu tries to get on the end of a corner, but Mallorca clear to the edge of the box as far as Capdevila. He slashes his effort high and wide.
GOAL! Espanyol 1-1 Mallorca (Dos Santos)
Well, after Baena had a shot hit at the keeper, Mallorca go up the other end. Dos Santos deemed just onside and he advances to the right side of the box before curling round Casilla. Great finish.
In truth that's all Mallorca have created in 35 minutes, but if you can finish like that you'll finish more than you'll miss.
Now Mallorca are pressing up the field a little more, putting the previously comfortable Espanyol under some pressure. The goal has livened them up.
YELLOW CARD! Forlin clatters into Dos Santos's face with a shoulder barge. It wasn't intentional I don't think, but the contact was fierce and the medical team are straight on. Potential cheek and nose damage it seems.
The free-kick is an absolutely shocking delivery, and Dos Santos rejoins play. I think I saw them putting on a mask to protect his face, but I might be wrong there.
GOAL! Espanyol 1-2 Mallorca (Marquez)
Marquez, the former Espanyol man, has scored here from fully 35 yards. He drilled it low and Casilla must have seen it late to let it in. Suddenly Mallorca have turned it around!
That goal came from a corner, which was won after a phenomenal back-heel attempt from Dos Santos that Casilla flicked round the post. The visitors are well on top.
Into the last minute of the half. Can Espanyol get back into this before the break? They were comfortable for 35 minutes, but find themselves behind.
YELLOW CARD! Luna goes into the box for bringing down Lopez. Two minutes will be added on and the first is nearly up.
Aouate dominates two crosses in quick succession with decent punches. Good goalkeeping, the sort of thing you see all the time in La Liga.
HALF-TIME! Espanyol 1-2 Mallorca
Well, after a slow start that turned into a gripping half. It took a good 10-15 minutes for anything to be created, with Espanyol dominating possession before their goal and Mallorca responding magnificently.
As it stands, Mallorca have lifted themselves out of the bottom three. There's an entire half left, however, and you suspect Espanyol will look to respond early in the second half.
The opening goal was a fantastic free-kick by Simao. At first glance I thought Aouate was a bit slow getting to it, but it was just fantastic placement.
After that, Mallorca responded well. They started to get into the game with some neat passing and Dos Santos curled in the equaliser from an angle.
Five minutes before the break they were level with former Espanyol man Marquez scoring a low effort from way out. There were bodies in front of Casilla and he couldn't keep it out.
Just a couple of minutes now until the restart.
Mallorca get us back underway.
How can the home side respond at the start of this half? Mallorca will surely make themselves tough to break down with this lead.
The men in red are looking sharp on the counter, which I expect will be the story of the second half.
Espanyol struggling to get a touch in these opening four minutes. Mallorca playing just as they'd have hoped.
Some good passing now from the hosts, but Mallorca stay compact and eventually Luna clears for a throw.
No chances as yet in this half. The teams are sharing spells of possession and Espanyol are starting to look the most threatening. The referee goes down in the box! But he doesn't appeal, all is well.
Superb bit of control from Verdu then, Longo - on at half-time - tries to work space but Espanyol defend well. The Italian tries the left this time and wins a corner.
OFF THE BAR! From the corner Moreno meets it and rattles the face of the bar. Aouate is writhing in agony for some reason. His own player Nunez stood on his foot as the 'keeper tried to move and that's a twisted knee. Could be nasty but I think he might be ok.
Looking at it again Moreno was only about five yards out as he met Simao's corner. He could have done a lot better.
Longo attempts a flailing bicycle kick, but makes no contact whatsoever. Despite that, he has looked lively this half.
Aouate can't continue after all and Ruben Mino comes on for him. He;s disappeared down the tunnel before he comes on, though. What's going on?
Espanyol bossing this in terms of possession but that Moreno header remains the only real chance. A deep cross is nodded down by Simao, but Mallorca clear.
It's all kicking off here. Really not being played in good spirits. Pina gives away a free-kick then elbows I think Verdu in the face. Shocking that and he's lucky to be on the pitch!
CHANCE! At one end Dos Santos almost latches on to a defensive error before Longo turns on the edge of the box and Mino makes a good save. Series of corners for the hosts here.
PENALTY TO ESPANYOL! Nunes bundles over Longo there but I think he slipped. I think it has to be given.
GOAL! Espanyol 2-2 Mallorca (Verdu)
Well, what a weird penalty to give away. Nunes sort of slipped and ended up behind Longo, who fell over him. Verdu dispatches it eight into the edge of the side netting for the equaliser. Game on.
It's been a solid response from Mallorca after the equaliser. They're back on the ball and passing it around nicely.
CHANCE! Oh. My. Word. That is a sitter! Marquez clips over the top to Dos Santos, who cuts across to the unmarked Víctor Casadesus and he skies it over from five yards! Oh dear.
Tomer Hemed is on for Garcia.
Now Espanyol coming back into it with some good passing. That miss seems to have knocked the stuffing out of Mallorca just a bit.
Still Espanyol pressing. Verdu tries with a cutback to Garcia, but he just can't latch on to it. Another change for the visitors as Marquez comes off for Pep Marti.
Neat football involving Verdu and Simao but they can't beat Colotto.
YELLOW CARD! Hemed is booked after the act after a tug back in midfield. The referee initially played the advantage.
RED CARD! Luna is sent off for his second bookable offence. He brought down Garcia and it was a fair enough yellow card. His second, so he's walking - eventually after much protestation. That could change this.
Colotto has a great chance on the byline to cut it back into danger but he gets too much on the cross and it ends safe. Still Espanyol come forward.
GOAL! Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca (Baena)
It's cruel on the visitors but the home pressure has paid off. A couple of shots from the edge of the box are blocked, the second falling nicely to Baena from the edge of the six-yard box who prods home. It should be 3-2 Mallorca, but instead the home side lead. That could settle it.
A little under five minutes of normal time remain now. It'll require every ounce of determination for Mallorca to get anything now.
Dos Santos still looks lively. I'd say he's been the best player on the park tonight, but he might be about to end up on the losing side.
Bitty now this game. Fouls from both sides disrupting the flow. The referee has for my liking been too keen to stop the play. Garcia comes off now, with Sergio Tejera taking his place.
Five minutes of time added on. Enough for an equaliser, certainly. Can Mallorca muster one?
Mallorca doing most of the passing now, with a bit more urgency, but Espanyol are doing a good job of slowing it down. One of the Espanyol coaching staff has been sent off now.
CHANCE! Longo should have settled it there. He's through one-on-one but hits it straight at the goalkeeper. Still a tough save, but there's not excuses for missing that.
YELLOW CARD! Still time for another booking. Tejera gets one for delaying the game, as does his goalkeeper Casilla. I've completely lost count now. Some have been so pointless.
One last chance for Mallorca with a deep free-kick...
CHANCE! Oh dear again! It's a miss from six yards out and the whistle goes from the goal kick! Nunes that time.
FULL-TIME! Espanyol 3-2 Mallorca
Well, it could have gone the other way but Espanyol take a crucial three points in an exciting game! They turned around a first-half deficit to take the points.
Thanks for joining me tonight. That's all from me, but look out for my analysis piece that will be on site before 8.30pm. Good night.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
