On December 23rd, Matchday 17 of the 2025-26 La Liga season saw RCD Espanyol travel to face Athletic Bilbao. Despite the disadvantage of conceding first, the team showed resilient fighting spirit to score two consecutive goals, ultimately turning the game around with a 2-1 victory to claim their fifth straight league win.
First Half: Conceding First, Romero’s Stunner Equalizes
The match began with both sides trading attacks. In the 14th minute, Espanyol earned a corner, and a header from Calero was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. However, in the 38th minute, the home side Athletic Bilbao broke the deadlock, taking a 1-0 lead.
Facing a deficit, Espanyol remained composed. In the 44th minute, just before the end of the first half, the ball was cleared to the edge of the box during an attack. Number 22, Carlos Romero, met the ball with a direct volley, sending it on a beautiful arc straight into the net. Thanks to this spectacular screamer, Espanyol leveled the score at 1-1 before halftime.
Second Half: Milla’s Winner Secures the Victory
After the break, a re-energized Espanyol completed their turnaround in the 52nd minute. Dolan won the ball back with aggressive pressing in the final third and delivered a cross. Pere Milla met it in front of goal, turning it in to change the score to 2-1.
With the lead, Espanyol solidified their defense and threatened on the counter-attack. In the 82nd minute, substitute Kike García got a shooting opportunity from a tight angle inside the box, but his shot was brilliantly saved by the keeper. In the end, the 2-1 scoreline held until the final whistle, and Espanyol successfully took all three points from their away trip.
Post-Match Summary and Outlook
This victory marks Espanyol’s fifth consecutive win in the league, allowing the team to end their 2025 campaign in perfect form. According to the schedule, the team’s next match will be on January 4, 2026, at 4:00 AM, when they will host city rivals Barcelona at home for Matchday 18 of La Liga.
Match Lineup
- Starting XI: 13-Dmitrović, 23-Omar, 5-Calero, 4-Cabrera, 22-Carlos Romero, 4-Urko González, 10-Lozano, 8-Edu, 24-Dolan, 11-Pere Milla, 9-Roberto Fernández
- Substitutions:
- 57′: Carreras on for Pere Milla.
- 72′: Kike García on for Lozano.
- 83′: José Salinas and Rieder on for Dolan and Carlos Romero, respectively.
- 84′: Rubén Sánchez on for Edu.
