The referee, Muñiz Fernández, was busy during the first half. The man from Asturias awarded both sides a penalty inside of 24 minutes. Both penalties were scored: Verdu netting Espanyol's (13 minutes) and Rakitic slotting home for Sevilla (24). This second one might in fact have been a bad call by the referee.
But the most controversial decision of the game was yet to come: Sevilla's José Antonio Reyes was sent off on 39 minutes. The winger took a free kick too quickly, according to the referee, and that's what he was sent off for.
What happened, as can be seen from replays of the incident, is that Muñiz blew the whistle for the foul to be taken, but then turned his attention to an incident inside the box. Reyes didn't notice what was going on and took the free kick, and as a result Sevilla had to play the remainder of the match a man short.
Espanyol took full advantage of this on 61 minutes. Simao was left unmarked from the corner, he clipped the ball, and Diego López went to ground too soon. The Portuguese had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he put his side 2-1 up.
An Álvaro Negredo header in injury time saved a point for Sevilla, and who knows, it might have just saved Míchel's neck, too.
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