Espanyol hit by back-to-back defeats as their form slips to 5

Espanyol head into the first international break with the mood dented after two straight losses: they fell at Leganés against Rayo Vallecano, and just before the break they were beaten 1-3 at the RCDE Stadium by Elche. As MARCA reports, the campaign began with strong signs, including a big win over Levante, a close game against Real Madrid despite a late defeat, and Espanyol’s first away victory in Pamplona, with Roberto Fernández standing out. But the recent setbacks have pushed their performance down to a rating of 5. The recurring issue is going forward: Espanyol couldn’t beat an Elche side who played over 90 minutes with a man advantage, and they also failed against Sevilla in the RCDE Stadium when the opponent had been reduced to 10 men for a stretch. Manolo González himself admitted that in the first half versus Rayo Vallecano the team’s display was “extremely poor”. On the plus side, Roberto Fernández is in top form and has been called up by Luis de la Fuente to Spain, with Javi Hernández also delivering with assists.