Match Events
| Min | Team | Card | Event | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6' | Elche | Federico Redondo Solari | 0-0 | |
| 22' | Elche | Fernando Niño Rodríguez | 0-0 | |
| 26' | Elche | Goal — Fernando Niño Rodríguez (assist: Roy Revivo) | 0-1 | |
| 29' | Elche | Goal — Fernando Niño Rodríguez (assist: Roy Revivo) | 0-2 | |
| 37' | Elche | Substitution — Buba Sangaré on, Ruben Sanchez Saez off | 0-2 | |
| 45+4' | Espanyol | Eduardo Expósito Jaén | 0-2 | |
| 45' | Espanyol | Substitution — Roger Hinojo on, Quilindschy Hartman off | 0-2 | |
| 45' | Espanyol | Substitution — Urko Gonzalez on, Marcos Fernández off | 0-2 | |
| 60' | Elche | Substitution — Gonzalo Villar on, Pedro Bigas off | 0-2 | |
| 61' | Elche | Substitution — Fernando Niño Rodríguez on, Abiel Alessio Osorio off | 0-2 | |
| 61' | Espanyol | Substitution — Álex Calatrava Torrado on, Pere Milla off | 0-2 | |
| 67' | Espanyol | Substitution — Bryan Zaragoza on, Tyrhys Dolan off | 0-2 | |
| 67' | Espanyol | Substitution — Unai Núñez on, Clemens Riedel off | 0-2 | |
| 72' | Espanyol | Goal — Víctor Chust | 1-2 | |
| 77' | Elche | Substitution — Thomas Lemar on, Tete Morente off | 1-2 | |
| 77' | Elche | Substitution — Roy Revivo on, Matia Barzic off | 1-2 | |
| 78' | Elche | Goal — Germán Valera (assist: Tete Morente) | 1-3 | |
| 82' | Espanyol | Clemens Riedel | 1-3 | |
| 90+1' | Elche | Lucas Cepeda | 1-3 |
Elche made the trip to RCDE Stadium on Friday, 18 September 2026 and left with a result that will have raised plenty of eyebrows, putting Espanyol away 3-1. The visitors were in control long before the break, having built a 2-0 cushion at half-time through a performance that gave the home side little room to breathe. Espanyol struggled to find any rhythm in that opening period and were made to pay for a sluggish start. The hosts did manage to pull one back after the interval, giving the crowd something to shout about, but Elche always looked capable of restoring their two-goal buffer and did exactly that before the final whistle. A 1-3 scoreline away from home will do wonders for Elche's confidence as the season develops, while Espanyol will need to find answers quickly after a night to forget on home soil. It's the kind of defeat that asks real questions of the squad's resolve.
The Matchup
Elche beat Espanyol 1-3 at RCDE Stadium, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 66% in favour of Espanyol, Elche made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 23 attempts from Espanyol against 9 from Elche over the course of the game. Espanyol had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.
Man of the Match
Match Statistics
Espanyol vs Elche Lineups
Looking Ahead
Espanyol have a quick chance to build on this result. Their next test comes away at Racing Santander, and how they respond after this result will be worth watching. You can follow the build-up and everything you need to know when Racing Santander vs Espanyol going to play at 24 October 2026 in Spanish La Liga 2026-27.
Elche, meanwhile, does not have long to wait before getting back out onto the pitch. They are next in action away at Rayo Vallecano, a game that will give an early sense of how they carry this result forward. Full details are here: Rayo Vallecano vs Elche going to play at 24 October 2026 in Spanish La Liga 2026-27.