Espanyol is a fake

BarcelonaThere'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.

Kike, like Ronaldo Nazário

From the outset, and as expected, Elche came out looking to dominate possession; this usually suits Espanyol well. With Urko, Pol Lozano, and Expósito in midfield, Manolo González's game plan was to win the ball back and exploit space. And Lozano is an expert at breaking lines and threading passes. He demonstrated this immediately. Barely seven minutes had passed when the Catalan player, a die-hard Espanyol supporter, recovered the ball very close to Dmitrovic's area and played a long, pinpoint through ball that Kike García, starting in place of Roberto Fernández, converted with a brilliant run and a toe-poke finish that left Dituro with no chance. The striker from Cuenca He only knows how to score amazing goals.

Pere Milla, formerly of Elche, and Riedel, who replaced Calero due to injury, also started for Espanyol. The German center-back had a busy day clearing balls, because, like the Espanyol players – today in navy blue and with the flag on his chestThey were a very compact team, forcing Alicante to resort to long passes looking for Rafa Mir and André Silva. The only one capable of changing the established script, the one Manolo had drawn up, was the talented midfielder Aleix Febas, whose contract expires at the end of the year and who has been linked with Espanyol in recent days.

Espanyol's jinx

As the minutes ticked by, the home fans began to get nervous; Elche had started the season like a thunderclap, but, like Espanyol, they hadn't won since before Christmas, leaving them dangerously close to the relegation zone. Lacking ideas and outplayed by their opponents, Sarabia's men found a way through where there seemed to be none. Just before halftime, a Pol Lozano clearance attempt in the visitors' box struck Aguado's boot, who was trying to block the shot, and ended up in Dmitrovic's net. Bad luck for Espanyol, who a couple of minutes later saw Vituro deny Pere Milla a 1-2 with a fingertip save. The equalizer freed Elche, who almost turned the game around with a close-range shot from Rafa Mir that Dmitrovic parried with his hands; And from 1-2 to 2-1, because the Serbian's intervention was the prelude to the Espanyol goal. Another counter-attack; this time the instigator was Expósito, who assisted Carlos Romero, who scored one of the goals of the day with his left foot. His shot from outside the area hit the post and went in off the top corner.

Bitter ending

It didn't go in, but a shot from Terrats also hit the post. During the final stretch, Elche laid siege to Dmitrovic's goal and finally equalized from the penalty spot in the 90th minute after an unfortunate handball by Carlos Romero inside the area. Rafa Mir converted the penalty, denying Espanyol their first win of the year. Espanyol, who are struggling, were hanging on for dear life after Pickel was sent off five minutes from time.