Espanyol’s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered another blow on Sant Jordi’s Day as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano, extending their winless streak to 15 matches.
The Catalan side traveled to Madrid wearing their special third kit — featuring the Senyera and a blue rose on the chest — in honor of the annual celebration of Sant Jordi, Catalonia’s patron saint. Despite the symbolic gesture and the presence of traveling supporters who received blue roses at the match, Espanyol failed to secure the victory they desperately needed to distance themselves from the drop zone.
The only goal of the game came from Raúl de Tomás’ Camello, who converted a penalty after Álvaro García’s initial spot-kick was saved by Dani Cárdenas. The rebound fell to Camello, who made no mistake from close range to give Rayo the lead.
Espanyol had chances to equalize. Kike García missed a first-half penalty, sending his effort wide after Cárdenas had denied Álvaro García’s original attempt. Later, Roberto Fernández came close with a low drive that tested the Rayo goalkeeper, but the visitors could not discover a way past the home side’s defense.
The result leaves Espanyol in a precarious position. With only 32 points after 33 matches, they remain among the lowest scorers in Europe’s top five leagues this season. Only Metz in Ligue 1 has managed fewer goals than the white-and-blues in 2026.
Manolo González’s side has not won since February, and the pressure is mounting. Club captain Leandro Cabrera recently affirmed that the coach has “all our support and trust,” echoing sentiments from veteran players Kike García and Edu Expósito. Ownership, led by Alan Pace, has also made clear that González will not be dismissed despite the poor run.
The match took place at Estadio de Vallecas, with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. Local time (6:00 p.m. UTC). Rayo Vallecano, despite missing three central defenders due to injury, held firm to claim a vital three points in their own battle to avoid relegation.
Espanyol will now appear to end their winless run in their next fixture, though details of the upcoming match were not available in the verified sources at the time of reporting.
For continued updates on Espanyol’s fight to stay in La Liga, follow official club channels and trusted sports news outlets.
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