To the question, “How is Espanyol doing this season?”, it’s almost impossible to give a simple answer. For those who follow our podcast “in real life,” you know that Clarence predicts they’ll finish in a European spot by the end of the season. But the reality is quite different. When we arrive in Cornellà on Valentine’s Day, Espanyol are on a six-game winless streak. And yet, the Catalan club sits 6th and faces 7th-placed Celta Vigo. A high-stakes clash that we may well look back on in May if one of these two clubs fails to qualify for the Conference League or the Europa League.
The atmosphere is there. The expected 30,000 fans have shown up (though that still leaves around ten thousand empty seats), and the match kicks off in strong winds — perhaps a sign of a storm to come.
Pol Lozano quickly stands out with his movement and control of the game, even creating space that allows Exposito to register the clearest chance of the opening ten minutes: a 20-meter strike that ends in a corner. A strong start — interrupted in the 36th minute by Celta’s opening goal. Against the run of play? Was there really any rhythm to the game at all?
No other real chances before halftime. A rather dull performance overall. The new signing Ngonge starts, but it quickly becomes obvious: Dolan is sorely missed.
After the break, Kike García, Dolan, and González come on ten minutes into the second half — and the game changes. Espanyol push forward. Kike unsettles the defense; with his experience, he positions himself perfectly, draws the ball, holds it up, and keeps working relentlessly. With four attackers now on the pitch, finding the net becomes an obligation. And Kike García does just that, ten minutes after coming on. The crowd finds its voice again.
Espanyol continue to push, desperate to end their winless run. But Celta strike first — scoring in total confusion. Ten minutes remain, and Borja Iglesias becomes the executioner of the Blanquiazules. Omar El Hilali (very sluggish in this match, as our neighbor to the left kept pointing out) stays down on the pitch to allow the referee to review the video. Somewhat questionable behavior, but necessary. The replay is shown on the stadium screens, piling even more pressure on the referee, who ultimately signals offside and disallows the goal.
The Pericos — the fans — make themselves heard. One final substitution: Terrats, that explosive player so used to coming off the bench. And it pays off immediately. With one of his first touches, he surges forward and delivers a superb cut-back pass to Dolan, who finishes and celebrates with a magnificent backflip. The RCDE Stadium erupts. A wonderful gift from the club to all these lovers — the end of the drought.
But no. Iglesias scores in stoppage time, silencing the entire crowd. And just like that, we head off toward the Sagrada Familia.
The conclusion of this article is as abrupt as the ending of that match.