There's no way around it. Whether they play well or badly, Espanyol can't find a way to win again, something that hasn't happened since the end of last year. And it's already started in March. Against Elche, the second-worst team of 2026 after Espanyol themselves, they couldn't manage it either, despite playing a great match (2-2). After taking the lead twice with a fantastic goal from Kike García and another from Carlos Romero, a poor clearance from Pol Lozano and an unfortunate handball by Carlos Romero in the dying minutes condemned them. If they don't win soon, the league season could become a long and arduous one for Espanyol.

It takes real courage to look a team like Barça in the eye and decide to go toe-to-toe with them. And Elche is one of those teams, as daring as their coach, Eder Sarabia. But the world is full of brave souls who end up defeated, and Elche's approach was an invitation for Barça to create a barrage of scoring opportunities in a highly entertaining match where Flick's men managed to finish the job despite their lackluster finishing. Barça could have scored a ton of goals with more accuracy. Sarabia's audacity led to a beautiful game in which Flick's team strengthened their position at the top of the table while Lamine Yamal had a field day with so much space.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the Mystery Play of Elche (thanks to the El Tempir association, which organizes it, for the invitation). It is a marvel, an undeniable joy of medieval Catalan and European culture. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a liturgical drama that depicts the Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary and has been performed uninterruptedly in the Basilica of Santa María in Elche for over five hundred years. The current performance follows the text of the 1625 consueta. The play is sung entirely in Valencian or medieval Catalan—except for brief fragments in Latin—and is musically rich. From a theatrical point of view, it has moments—the appearance of the Angel, the descent of Christ—that make a powerful impression on any spectator, regardless of their religious beliefs. Even today's spectators, accustomed to constant overstimulation and amazing spectacles, are moved and impressed by the Mystery of Elche and its powerful fascination.

Why they chose the word temper?