Sporting Gijon 1 - 0 Espanyol

Sporting Gijon 1-0 Espanyol

Updated: November 8, 2009, 1:57 PM ET

Espanyol's seven-match unbeaten league run came to an end as they went down to an in-form Sporting Gijon at El Molinon in the Primera Division.

Mate Bilic struck the only goal of the game after three minutes to extend Sporting's unbeaten league run to five matches and move them to within a point of the top six.

The two sides came into this match level on 13 points, with Espanyol below Sporting on goal difference but undefeated since the second round of the championship.

The Catalans have ground out impressive draws at Sevilla and Villarreal, as well as a 3-2 win at Deportivo La Coruna.

But Sporting have been equally impressive at home, undefeated at home this season.

Sporting were missing striker David Barral through injury, but his replacement Bilic proved an instant hit.

The Croatian forward, who has not been a regular starter this season, stuck out a boot to divert Diego Castro's shot past a hapless Carlos Kameni to give the home side a perfect start after just three minutes.

Espanyol should have drawn level 15 minutes later.

Jose Callejon raced on to Joan Verdu's defence-splitting pass but shot straight at Juan Pablo Colinas.

Two minutes later, the Catalans came even closer to an equaliser when Callejon set up Luis Garcia with a cross. but the Asturias-born forward blasted his shot against the post from close range.

Verdu then set up Callejon once more, but the youngster dallied and tried to take the ball around Juan Pablo - only to lose out again to the Sporting goalkeeper.

Espanyol missed another great chance to equalise two minutes before the break, when Ivan Alonso attempted to divert Ivan Pillud's shot towards goal - but saw his effort fly just wide.

After Sporting's early goal, Espanyol had enjoyed the majority of the play. but their finishing was letting them down again.

The Catalans have struggled to finish off teams this season - and that was all too obvious in their previous game, when they were pegged back deep into added time at home to Valladolid and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The Barcelona-based team have not been aided by the continued absence of striker Raul Tamudo, whose unseemly dispute with the club drags on and on.

With Ivan De La Pena constantly injured, Espanyol have struggled in the final third.

Much of the creative play in the first half had come through Verdu, and the Catalans seemed to lose their shape when the former Deportivo midfielder was replaced by Shunsuke Nakamura 11 minutes after the break.

Chances were few and far between after that, and Sporting held out comfortably in the end for a valuable win.

It could even have been more convincing, because Diego Castro dragged a shot just wide in the last minute.

Nevertheless, Sporting stay seventh and are now just a point behind sixth-placed Mallorca.

Espanyol, meanwhile, drop to ninth.