RCD Espanyol suffered their first defeat of the 2026-27 season on Saturday, August 29th, losing 2-1 to Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium. The match was part of LaLiga EA Sports matchday 3 and left the Catalan side in ninth place with three points, four behind league leaders Alaves.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the hosts took an early lead. Ander Barrenetxea scored in the 4th minute after a mistake by Calatrava and an assist from Mikel Oyarzabal. Espanyol, who had created little, managed to equalize just before halftime. Roberto Fernández headed in a precise cross from Javi Hernández following an Oyarzabal turnover, making it 1-1 in the 45th minute.
How did the second half unfold?
The deadlock lasted until just past the hour mark. Real Sociedad, who maintained clear superiority, found the winning goal in the 62nd minute. Icelandic striker Andri Óskarsson was the scorer, finishing a move that put the txuri-urdin back in front. Espanyol's Serbian goalkeeper, Marko Dmitrovic, had a notable performance with several key saves, including a stellar stop from a Zubeldia header in the first half, but could not prevent the second goal.
Referee Manuel Jesús Orellana Cid was a central figure, sending off Real Sociedad's coaches Matarazzo and Toprak from the bench. He also showed yellow cards to the locals Turrientes and Zubeldia, and to Espanyol's Marcos Fernández, Bauzà, and Hinojo. The match was played in front of 31,884 spectators in an initially tense atmosphere due to a divided tribute to Oyarzabal and a minute of silence for deceased club members and nutritionist Ion Gómez.
What lineup changes were made?
Real Sociedad manager Matarazzo made four changes to his starting eleven from the previous match. He reintroduced Zubeldia into defense, lined up Carlos Soler in midfield, and gave starts to Barrenetxea and Óskarsson in attack, keeping Oyarzabal as an attacking midfielder. For their part, Espanyol started with Dmitrovic in goal; a defense of El Hilali, Núñez, Drkusic, and Hinojo; a midfield with Edu Expósito and Urko; and an attacking trio of Calatrava, Javi Hernández, and Dolan, with Roberto Fernández as the striker.
In-game changes included the introduction of Moscardo for Urko at the start of the second half, and later substitutions of Marcos Fernández and Bauzà for Edu Expósito and Javi Hernández. In the final minutes, Pere Milla and Jofre replaced Dolan and goalscorer Roberto Fernández.
What is Espanyol's current situation?
With this result, RCD Espanyol has three points from a possible nine and sits in ninth place in LaLiga EA Sports. Their record is one win, zero draws, and one loss, with four goals scored and two conceded, giving them a positive goal difference of +2. The team has shown attacking capability but needs to improve defensive solidity away from home.
The next fixture for the blanquiazul side is a home match against Sevilla, currently fourth in the table, on Sunday, September 6th. This game will be an important test to bounce back from the defeat in San Sebastián. Fans can follow the team's progress and check the full schedule on our fixtures page and the updated standings in our league table section.
