Espanyol beats Athletic 2-0; Monchi earns first LaLiga win at Cornellà

Espanyol’s 2-0 win over Athletic Club on May 13 was less about a coaching debut than about a badly needed result in a relegation fight. The club’s own records and LaLiga’s results page show the victory ended an 18-match league winless run and was Espanyol’s first league win since Dec. 22, when it beat Athletic away. Monchi was appointed on May 11 as Espanyol’s new sporting director, not head coach, according to the club. Manolo González remained the team’s coach for the match at the RCDE Stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat, where 29,943 spectators saw Espanyol score twice after halftime. (rcdespanyol.com) ### Was Monchi actually the coach for this game? RCD Espanyol said on May 11 that Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, known as Monchi, had been appointed sporting director and would lead the club’s sporting department. The club said he would report to chief executive Mao Ye Wu and president Alan Pace. (rcdespanyol.com) Manolo González was listed as Espanyol’s coach on the official match summary for the Athletic game. That means the result was Espanyol’s first league win since Monchi’s arrival at the club, but not his first win as coach. ### How did Espanyol finally break through against Athletic? (rcdespanyol.com) Pere Milla opened the scoring in the 69th minute, according to Sky Sports and the official match timeline, after coming on as a substitute. Espanyol’s own report said he had been on the pitch for six minutes when he converted Carlos Romero’s cross with an acrobatic finish. (globalsportsarchive.com) Kike García made it 2-0 in the 90th minute plus two after a pass from Ramón Terrats, the match timeline shows. Espanyol said the striker finished one-on-one with Unai Simón to seal the result. ### How tense was the game before the goals? (skysports.com) Athletic and Espanyol both created chances before halftime in a match Espanyol described as intense and fast-paced. The club report said Alex Berenguer forced a save from Marko Dmitrovic, Romero tested Unai Simón, and a deflection off Aymeric Laporte hit the crossbar. (globalsportsarchive.com) Unai Gómez also hit the post before the break, Espanyol said. The game remained scoreless at halftime before the home side found the breakthrough in the final third of the second half. ### What did the result do to the table? LaLiga’s official results page shows Espanyol moved to 42 points after 36 matches with the win over Athletic. (rcdespanyol.com) A separate match database listed the club 14th after the game, level on points with Osasuna and one point behind Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano at that stage of the round. Reuters reported on May 13 that Espanyol’s win was one of several major results in the relegation battle. The club had entered the final three matches under pressure after failing to win a league game in 2026 before Wednesday. ### Why did this match draw extra attention around Espanyol? (laliga.com) Monchi’s appointment on May 11 came with Espanyol still in danger near the bottom of the table. The club described him as one of European football’s most recognized executives, citing his years at Sevilla, Roma and Aston Villa. (msn.com) The timing mattered because Espanyol had only three league matches left when Monchi arrived. Espanyol’s official site shows the Athletic win was followed by upcoming league fixtures against Osasuna and Real Sociedad as the club tries to secure survival. ### What comes next for Espanyol and Athletic? Espanyol’s next step is its remaining LaLiga schedule, with Osasuna and then Real Sociedad still to play, according to reporting on Monchi’s appointment and the club’s match listings. (rcdespanyol.com) Those fixtures will determine whether the Athletic win becomes the result that secures top-flight safety. (rcdespanyol.com) Athletic, meanwhile, finished the night on 44 points from 36 matches, according to the match database. Espanyol’s May 13 win closed the gap between the sides and left both clubs with two league games remaining. (globalsportsarchive.com) (msn.com)