Wu hopes end to goal drought rouses troubled Espanyol

Wu Lei hopes his first goal of the current Spanish season can kick-start Espanyol's campaign as the Barcelona-based club fights for its La Liga life.

Wu volleyed home from close range from a corner on the stroke of halftime to cancel out Jaime Mata's third-minute opener for visitor Getafe and earn Espanyol its first point in four matches.

The host laid siege to the Getafe goal in the second half but the Madrid-based side survived the onslaught as goalkeeper David Soria denied Wu a winner with a string of superb saves.

The point leaves Espanyol still mired in the relegation zone, three points above basement dweller Leganes, which it faces on Dec 22, three points behind third-from-bottom Celta Vigo, and a daunting five points from safety.

With just two wins on the board after 14 games, Espanyol will need to start notching victories quickly to have any chance of survival in the top flight - a situation of which Wu is acutely aware.

"I'm not satisfied. We all know how important this game was and we were playing in front of our home crowd," said Wu, whose goal was his first in La Liga since netting against Real Sociedad in May.

"I'm very happy to score but unfortunately it's not a perfect result. It would have been perfect if my goal had delivered three points for my team.

"Our team is at a critical stage. We need a key victory to help the team climb out of trouble. I wasted several chances to put the game to bed, so I still have room to improve. Hopefully, though, it will provide a fresh start for us. I want to thank all our fans who are supporting us at such a difficult time."

Wu later posted on Weibo: "I believe things will be better!"

The 27-year-old has endured a difficult second season in Spain after joining Chinese-owned Espanyol from Shanghai SIPG in January for a reported fee of 2 million euros (around $2.25 million).

The deal saw Wu become the first Chinese to sign permanently for a Spanish top-flight club, with some observers suspicious that the move was motivated more by his marketing potential than his ability on the pitch.

However, he proved the doubters wrong, popping up with a number of vital goals and assists to help steer Espanyol out of the relegation mire. The team eventually finished seventh to book a spot in the Europa League qualifying rounds, which Espanyol safely negotiated.

In October, the forward became the first Chinese man to score in a major UEFA club competition, excluding the qualifying rounds, by bagging Espanyol's 64th-minute opener in a 2-0 Europa League victory at CSKA Moscow.

Espanyol's domestic troubles contrast sharply with its form in Europe's second-tier club competition, with the Spanish club sitting top of Group H and on course to reach the knockout stage with two matches remaining.

The team will resume its Europa League adventure against Hungary's Ferencvaros in Budapest on Thursday before hosting 11th-place Osasuna in a crucial La Liga match on Sunday.

"Our home game against Osasuna is really important," Wu said. "We really need a victory to climb up the table. Hopefully we can do it."

Espanyol's precarious situation has not been helped by several changes in coaching personnel since last term.

Rubi, the head coach Wu had thrived under last term, departed for Real Betis to be replaced by David Gallego. However, after just one win in eight matches, Gallego was fired last month and replaced by former Girona and Sevilla boss Pablo Machin.

The appointment initially failed to have the desired effect. However, after Sunday's result, the 44-year-old Machin is hopeful of turning things around.

"The point lets us see that there is light at the end of the tunnel," said the coach.