Perez strikes winner for Espanyol vs Rayo in Spain

MADRID — A second-half goal by Paraguay attacking midfielder Hernan Perez gave Espanyol a 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league Monday. Midfielder Abraham Gonzalez opened the scoring for Espanyol when he latched powerfully onto Marco Asensio’s cross in the 12th minute. Tiago “Bebe” Dias equalized in the 67th after controlling a pass from Armenia’s Aras Ozbiliz, beating midfielder Pape Diop and firing a well-struck shot past goalkeeper Pau Lopez. Perez won the match for the host with a powerful shot past goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez in the 77th. Espanyol is 14th on 31 points, while Rayo is just above the relegation zone in 17th on 26 points. Barcelona leads on 72 points with Atletico Madrid second on 64. Real Madrid is third on 60. Messi to appear in Cup qualifiers Lionel Messi will play his first 2018 World Cup qualifiers this month after being named in a 29-man Argentina squad Tuesday. Captain Messi missed his country’s first four qualifiers last year for the tournament to be played in Russia because of injury. Argentina, finalist in Brazil in 2014, made a poor start to the 10-nation, 18-match South American group in Messi’s absence with a 2-0 home loss to Ecuador followed by a 0-0 draw in Paraguay in October. It picked itself up with a 1-1 draw at home to Brazil and a 1-0 win in Colombia in November and is now in sixth place with five points, seven adrift of leader Ecuador. Messi will lead Argentina away to Copa America holder Chile in Santiago on March 24 and at home to Bolivia in Cordoba five days later. The top four teams at the end of the campaign in 2017 qualify for the Russia Finals the following year, and the fifth-placed side go into an intercontinental playoff. Guardiola meets City bosses In Berlin, Pep Guardiola promised to focus solely on Bayern Munich in his final months in charge, but he apparently met the sporting director of future employers Manchester City in Amsterdam Monday. Clad in a grey winter hat, thick sweater and carrying a rucksack, the 45-year-old Guardiola looked like a tourist as he was photographed entering a luxury hotel in Amsterdam Monday morning. British tabloid The Mirror and Dutch newspaper Telegraaf both claim Guardiola met City’s director Txiki Begiristain, who was also photographed in Amsterdam Monday, for two hours to discuss possible transfers. Guardiola is reported to have defender Jetro Willems, 21, of PSV Eindhoven and 19-year-old midfielder Riechedly Bazoer from Ajax Amsterdam on his wish list of future City players. Begiristain and Guardiola are good friends, who worked together at Barcelona. This is not the first time Guardiola is reported to have jetted off from Munich to meet with key City figures. — Agencies