Espanyol gets into trouble

Cornellá de LlobregatThere's no way Espanyol will win in 2026. When it's not an individual error, it's a refereeing mistake; today it was a bit of everything. After a good first half, with two goals disallowed for offside and a VAR review for a possible penalty, the Blanquiazules went into halftime trailing 0-2 against Getafe, the worst possible opponent in a setting like this.

Despite Roberto's goal, the comeback fell short, and the Pericos have now gone twelfth consecutive match without a win. The defeat (1-2) has set off alarm bells at Cornellà-El Prat because Espanyol have... 4 points out of 36 And they are now the only team in the top division that hasn't won a match this year; all this with relegation nine points away with nine games remaining and just before facing a Tourmalet of three consecutive away matches, including visits to Betis and FC Barcelona.

Not a day without controversy

Espanyol arrived with a wary attitude due to the controversy in MallorcaIn a match where they were clearly wronged by the referee's decisions, and after barely 100 seconds against Getafe, the officiating crew once again took center stage. Play was interrupted for four minutes due to a handball by Diego Rico inside the area, which, after consulting VAR, Díaz de Mera deemed insufficient to award a penalty. The action was preceded by a header from Cyril Ngonge, one of the new faces in Manolo González's attacking starting eleven: Terrats, Expósito, Dolan, and Kike García also started. Shortly after, Ngonge himself opened the scoring, finishing off a cross from Dolan, who was offside by millimeters. The goal was disallowed, sparking outrage from the home fans towards the referee. Díaz de Mera then disallowed a second goal for the home side, this time by Terrats, for an offside by Kike García.

Espanyol couldn't believe it. They dominated the game, but were too focused on the referee's decisions and Getafe's time-wasting tactics. Getafe, practically harmless, were experts at doing a lot with a little. This was demonstrated in first-half stoppage time, when they scored not one goal, but two. Duarte and Arambarri, taking advantage of two well-executed set pieces, made it 0-2 and left Espanyol reeling. Surreal.

Espanyol's impossible mission

Having to overturn a two-goal deficit against Bordalás's team seemed like an impossible mission for a side that hadn't won since December 22, 2015. But the Espanyol players didn't give up and tried everything. Roberto's determination, which saw him head home a Rubén Sánchez cross to make it 2-1, fueled the hopes of the Pericos, who, despite their effort and merit, came close to equalizing. A crucial save from Soria, denying Kike García in stoppage time, prevented a comeback and allowed Getafe to overtake Espanyol in the standings. Despite their comeback, the Pericos lost and are now in trouble. With the current form – the club's worst start in history – and considering the schedule is getting tougher, the possibility that Espanyol, who not too long ago had their sights set on European qualification, won't secure their La Liga status until the final stretch of the season is becoming increasingly real.