Espanyol come close to making history

BarcelonaEspanyol came very close to making history (1-1). After beating Vigo, Getafe and BilbaoThe worst home team in La Liga ended Manolo González's side's winning streak. Had they secured three points at the Ciutat de València, they would have won four consecutive away matches in La Liga for the first time in their 125-year history. Despite Romero's stunning goal, Levante, revitalized by Luis Castro's arrival as manager, denied them that record, but they also failed to claim their first home victory, which would have left them just two points above the relegation zone. The Catalan side remains in fifth place.

From the outset, it seemed it wasn't going to be Espanyol's day. By the tenth minute, they had already been caught out several times by the direct attacking play of the second-to-last team in the standings. If it hadn't been for Dmitrovic and the poor finishing of Iker Losada and the young Tunde, a product of the Espanyol youth academy, the Pericos would have conceded right from the start. Manolo González, who brought on Kike García for Roberto and moved Expósito back to compensate for the absence of the suspended Pol Lozano, was also in the starting lineup.

From less to more

Manolo González's team, imprecise and lacking space to run into, didn't look like the same team that He put the all-powerful Barça on the ropes And the revelation team of the League, largely due to the approach of a very organized and energetic Levante that for a good while denatured an Espanyol that ended up handing over the initiative of the game to its rival to rediscover itself.

And it worked out well for them, because after Valencia's explosive start and a couple of tactical tweaks from the Galician manager, the visitors gradually gained ground, so much so that just before halftime they almost took the lead with a point-blank shot from Carlos Romero, the most inspired of the Espanyol players, which went from crossbar to crossbar, much to the delight of Expósito, who also sent his shot soaring high. The more than 500 Espanyol fans who had traveled to Orriols – the club received 1,400 requests – were already seeing the game in a different light because once again, Manolo González's Espanyol showed them that they can achieve a great deal with very little.

Romero perfectly illustrates this, striking a difficult ball into the top corner right at the start of the second half. The goal was beautiful, but Espanyol's lead was short-lived, as just a minute later they switched off and allowed Iker Losada to equalize. Manolo González was furious, especially after Losada nearly completed the comeback with a free header.

Puado's relapse

His header went wide; so did a shot from Jofre Carreras, who had the entire goal to himself, but fired high just before captain Puado entered and left the pitch. After only three minutes on the field, he had to be substituted due to knee problems, the same injury that had sidelined him for three months. The injury to their star player was the worst news of Espanyol's draw, who, despite the positive signs, are still searching for their first win of 2026.