Match story
- Espanyol fired more attempts (11 vs 8 shots).
- Espanyol held more of the ball (64% possession).
Alaves defeated Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 3 stage in the 2018 season. The match was played at Estadio de Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Alaves vs Espanyol meeting in La Liga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Alaves and Espanyol. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La Liga
Espanyol ESPRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Alaves defeated Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 3 stage in the 2018 season. The match was played at Estadio de Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Alaves vs Espanyol meeting in La Liga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Alaves and Espanyol. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaEspanyol ESPRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams joined the latest episode of Football Daily, in during which BBC Radio 5 Live's Aaron Paul spoke to him about Arsenal defending their Premier League title. There are all kinds of different messages, is it 'we've never defended the title so we're going to set that as an objective?' or is it that we're just going to continue the processes that we've done really well in the last season.
Jose Mourinho and Vinicius Junior spoke before the forward snubbed Arsenal (Picture: Getty) Jose Mourinho has lifted the lid on the frank conversation he had with Vinicius Junior to help persuade the forward to extend his stay with Real Madrid this summer. Vinicius had entered into the final 12 months of his previous deal with Madrid, meaning he would have been able to depart the Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of this coming season. Arsenal were alerted to the precarious situation and made contact with Vinicius Junior’s camp over the winter after a second round of contract talks between the Brazilian and Madrid had collapsed. The Gunners grew increasingly optimistic of pulling of a sensational coup as the months wore on and remained hopeful right up until a fortnight ago, with Mikel Arteta ‘absolutely smitten’ with the idea of adding a genuine world-class talent to his title-winning frontline. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. But Vinicius would go on to sign a six-year deal with Los Blancos, tying him to the Spanish giants until 2026, forcing the Premier League champions to search elsewhere for attacking reinforcements ahead of next month’s transfer deadline. Vinicius made his return for Madrid in the side’s pre-season clash with Deportivo La Coruna last week and will be expected to feature prominently on Saturday when Mourinho’s men open their La Liga campaign away to Espanyol. In a wide-ranging interview with El Chiringuito’s Josep Pedrerol, Mourinho opened up on the role he played in coaxing Vinicius away from the clutches of Arsenal. The Brazilian has put pen to paper on a six-year contract in Madrid (Picture: Getty) Arsenal had been in talks with Vinicius since January (Picture: Reuters) Asked if Vinicius’ renewal was solely down to him, Mourinho replied: ‘No… what? Because of me? Pressed on whether he spoke to Vinicius, the Special One responded: ‘Obviously I talked to him, but Vinicius has fallen in love with Real Madrid. ‘The only thing I told him was: “Vini, where do you want to go? You’ve only been in Brazil and you only know Real Madrid… You only understand Real Madrid when you leave. When you leave… that’s when you realise what Real Madrid is. Don’t leave. It’s not worth it.” {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta says Community Shield statement win proves Arsenal are 'ready for it'","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/17\/7779755569864816200\/480x270_MP4_7779755569864816200.mp4","description":"Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's desire \"to go straight again\" after Manchester City were overwhelmed 3-0 by the Premier League champions in the Community Shield.","duration":"T8M14S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/17\/07\/110678029-0-image-a-8_1786947795231.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-17T07:22:17+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘I think what he has felt in terms of the group’s growth, the way we’ve been working and developing, has given him a very important feeling. ‘Vinicius is another machine – it’s a pleasure to watch him work. ‘We have a lot of quality.’ Mourinho returned for a second spell as Madrid’s manager earlier this summer (Picture: Getty) Mourinh
BBC CWR's Will Oelrich and Rob Gurney hosted a special Sky Blues Fancast fans' forum with former players Liam Kelly, Carl Baker and a group of fans as Coventry gear up for the Premier League season. Against Espanyol and Monaco they looked like they had the physicality to dominate in certain areas of the pitch.
The 2026-27 La Liga season has already begun, but none of the Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid have made their debut yet. Top leagues across Europe are already kicking off following the 2026 World Cup, and over the weekend, La Liga began its 2026-27 campaign in Spain. However, while several clubs have already taken the pitch, the league’s three heavyweights, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid, have yet to play their opening matches. The tournament opened on Saturday, August 15, with Deportivo Alaves hosting Getafe in a 3-0 victory for the home side. Throughout the weekend, only four of the 10 scheduled Matchday 1 fixtures were played, with games involving Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid postponed for a specific logistical reason. La Liga reached an official agreement with clubs that had players participating in the late stages of the 2026 World Cup to delay their domestic debuts. Teams with rostered players who reached the World Cup semifinals or beyond were granted additional mandatory rest and recovery time before starting their league schedules. Across the two semifinal matchups, seven Spanish clubs were represented: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Real Betis, and Celta Vigo. Those clubs worked alongside the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) and La Liga to reschedule their opening league fixtures to accommodate the extended break. Dean Huijsen of Real Madrid celebrates the second goal against Schalke 04. (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) The only eligible club that chose not to request a special postponement was Celta Vigo, whose striker Borja Iglesias made Spain’s squad but logged just two minutes against Portugal in the round of 16. However, a fungal outbreak ruined the pitch at Celta’s stadium, ultimately forcing the league to reschedule their opening match against Osasuna anyway. Having an extra week before making their official debuts did not mean total rest for the clubs. Over the weekend, Barcelona played a friendly against FC Basel (a 5-2 win), Real Madrid faced Schalke 04 (a 3-0 win), and Atletico took on Olympique Marseille on Friday (a 2-1 win) to maintain match fitness ahead of the season. When are Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid debuting in La Liga? The first of the trio to make their official debut will be Atletico Madrid. The Colchoneros host Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday, August 19, meaning their overall scheduling and match preparation will experience minimal disruption compared to the rest of the league. As for Barcelona and Real Madrid, both clubs will make their 2026-27 La Liga debuts during Matchday 2 rather than Matchday 1. The Blaugrana travel to face Elche on Sunday, August 23, while Los Blancos head to Catalonia to take on Espanyol on Saturday, August 22. The two powerhouse clubs will then make up their postponed Matchday 1 fixtures during midweek action. Real Madrid face Real Sociedad on Wednesday, August 26, while Barcelona host Athletic Club on Thursday, August 27.
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Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams joined the latest episode of Football Daily, in during which BBC Radio 5 Live's Aaron Paul spoke to him about Arsenal defending their Premier League title. There are all kinds of different messages, is it 'we've never defended the title so we're going to set that as an objective?' or is it that we're just going to continue the processes that we've done really well in the last season.
Jose Mourinho and Vinicius Junior spoke before the forward snubbed Arsenal (Picture: Getty) Jose Mourinho has lifted the lid on the frank conversation he had with Vinicius Junior to help persuade the forward to extend his stay with Real Madrid this summer. Vinicius had entered into the final 12 months of his previous deal with Madrid, meaning he would have been able to depart the Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of this coming season. Arsenal were alerted to the precarious situation and made contact with Vinicius Junior’s camp over the winter after a second round of contract talks between the Brazilian and Madrid had collapsed. The Gunners grew increasingly optimistic of pulling of a sensational coup as the months wore on and remained hopeful right up until a fortnight ago, with Mikel Arteta ‘absolutely smitten’ with the idea of adding a genuine world-class talent to his title-winning frontline. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. But Vinicius would go on to sign a six-year deal with Los Blancos, tying him to the Spanish giants until 2026, forcing the Premier League champions to search elsewhere for attacking reinforcements ahead of next month’s transfer deadline. Vinicius made his return for Madrid in the side’s pre-season clash with Deportivo La Coruna last week and will be expected to feature prominently on Saturday when Mourinho’s men open their La Liga campaign away to Espanyol. In a wide-ranging interview with El Chiringuito’s Josep Pedrerol, Mourinho opened up on the role he played in coaxing Vinicius away from the clutches of Arsenal. The Brazilian has put pen to paper on a six-year contract in Madrid (Picture: Getty) Arsenal had been in talks with Vinicius since January (Picture: Reuters) Asked if Vinicius’ renewal was solely down to him, Mourinho replied: ‘No… what? Because of me? Pressed on whether he spoke to Vinicius, the Special One responded: ‘Obviously I talked to him, but Vinicius has fallen in love with Real Madrid. ‘The only thing I told him was: “Vini, where do you want to go? You’ve only been in Brazil and you only know Real Madrid… You only understand Real Madrid when you leave. When you leave… that’s when you realise what Real Madrid is. Don’t leave. It’s not worth it.” {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta says Community Shield statement win proves Arsenal are 'ready for it'","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/17\/7779755569864816200\/480x270_MP4_7779755569864816200.mp4","description":"Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's desire \"to go straight again\" after Manchester City were overwhelmed 3-0 by the Premier League champions in the Community Shield.","duration":"T8M14S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/17\/07\/110678029-0-image-a-8_1786947795231.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-17T07:22:17+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘I think what he has felt in terms of the group’s growth, the way we’ve been working and developing, has given him a very important feeling. ‘Vinicius is another machine – it’s a pleasure to watch him work. ‘We have a lot of quality.’ Mourinho returned for a second spell as Madrid’s manager earlier this summer (Picture: Getty) Mourinh
BBC CWR's Will Oelrich and Rob Gurney hosted a special Sky Blues Fancast fans' forum with former players Liam Kelly, Carl Baker and a group of fans as Coventry gear up for the Premier League season. Against Espanyol and Monaco they looked like they had the physicality to dominate in certain areas of the pitch.
The 2026-27 La Liga season has already begun, but none of the Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid have made their debut yet. Top leagues across Europe are already kicking off following the 2026 World Cup, and over the weekend, La Liga began its 2026-27 campaign in Spain. However, while several clubs have already taken the pitch, the league’s three heavyweights, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid, have yet to play their opening matches. The tournament opened on Saturday, August 15, with Deportivo Alaves hosting Getafe in a 3-0 victory for the home side. Throughout the weekend, only four of the 10 scheduled Matchday 1 fixtures were played, with games involving Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid postponed for a specific logistical reason. La Liga reached an official agreement with clubs that had players participating in the late stages of the 2026 World Cup to delay their domestic debuts. Teams with rostered players who reached the World Cup semifinals or beyond were granted additional mandatory rest and recovery time before starting their league schedules. Across the two semifinal matchups, seven Spanish clubs were represented: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Real Betis, and Celta Vigo. Those clubs worked alongside the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) and La Liga to reschedule their opening league fixtures to accommodate the extended break. Dean Huijsen of Real Madrid celebrates the second goal against Schalke 04. (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) The only eligible club that chose not to request a special postponement was Celta Vigo, whose striker Borja Iglesias made Spain’s squad but logged just two minutes against Portugal in the round of 16. However, a fungal outbreak ruined the pitch at Celta’s stadium, ultimately forcing the league to reschedule their opening match against Osasuna anyway. Having an extra week before making their official debuts did not mean total rest for the clubs. Over the weekend, Barcelona played a friendly against FC Basel (a 5-2 win), Real Madrid faced Schalke 04 (a 3-0 win), and Atletico took on Olympique Marseille on Friday (a 2-1 win) to maintain match fitness ahead of the season. When are Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid debuting in La Liga? The first of the trio to make their official debut will be Atletico Madrid. The Colchoneros host Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday, August 19, meaning their overall scheduling and match preparation will experience minimal disruption compared to the rest of the league. As for Barcelona and Real Madrid, both clubs will make their 2026-27 La Liga debuts during Matchday 2 rather than Matchday 1. The Blaugrana travel to face Elche on Sunday, August 23, while Los Blancos head to Catalonia to take on Espanyol on Saturday, August 22. The two powerhouse clubs will then make up their postponed Matchday 1 fixtures during midweek action. Real Madrid face Real Sociedad on Wednesday, August 26, while Barcelona host Athletic Club on Thursday, August 27.
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