Espanyol go into this La Liga meeting still waiting for their first win of 2026. Their record this year is 12 defeats and 6 draws from 18 league matches, and they sit 14th, only 2 points above the relegation zone. Athletic Club arrive with a different kind of pressure, because they are 9th and just 1 point behind 7th-placed Getafe.
Espanyol's winless run is the loudest fact in the game
The scale of Espanyol's downturn is hard to ignore. Their recent league form is LLDLL, which fits the broader picture of a side that has not found a way to turn tight games into points.
There is also the simple table pressure. Sports Mole put them 14th and 2 points above the relegation zone, which leaves little room for another flat afternoon. They already beat Athletic Club 2-1 at San Mames earlier this season, but that was also their last La Liga win, so the return fixture looks very different now.
Athletic Club still have a reason to push
The visitors have not been flawless either, with a last-five league run of LWLWL, but they are still close enough to the European places to make this matter. Their 44 points from 35 matches leave them 9th, and the gap to 7th-placed Getafe is only 1 point.
That is why this does not read like a routine away trip. Athletic Club also went to Alaves and won 4-2, which is enough to suggest they can create problems away from home if the game opens up. If Nico Williams is involved is still in doubt after a muscular problem against Valencia, that would be a real consideration, but the broader picture is still clear enough: Espanyol need a result badly, while Athletic have enough at stake to keep pressing for one of the few spots still within reach.
The home side's form and table position make them vulnerable. Athletic's away threat and proximity to seventh make them the more likely side to avoid defeat, even if this is not a simple mismatch.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
