Almeria pay costly penalty

Verza missed a penalty for struggling Almeria as they drew 0-0 with Espanyol on Sunday.

Verza missed a penalty for struggling Almeria as they drew 0-0 with Espanyol in Sunday's Primera Division match. The midfielder blasted the spot-kick over the bar in the 24th minute to squander a chance to move his side away from relegation zone. Despite this, the goalless draw lifted Almeria out of the bottom three on goal difference, as Espanyol missed the chance to move into the top half of the table. Bottom side Real Betis play Real Sociedad in a later kick-off, and if they claim victory it would see Almeria return to the bottom three. The visitors had a good chance early in the game to take the lead when Jhon Cordoba forced a close range save from Almeria goalkeeper Suarez Esteban in the fifth minute. Christian Stuani then sent a header wide from a similar distance before Esteban stopped a Sergio Garcia shot in the eighth minute. Almeria managed to withstand the early barrage and then squandered the best chance of the match to score when Verza failed to convert from the penalty spot after Gabriel Torje fouled Suso in the box. Esteban saved Stuani's 25-yard effort five minutes before the break before Fernando Soriano failed to test Francisco Casilla at the other end, as the Espanyol goalkeeper made a comfortable catch. After the break, Esteban saved another Garcia attempt in a half that had few clear cut chances, with only weak shots coming from Aleix Vidal for Almeria and Espanyol's Koulossa Thievy.