This is not the moment for comfort, caution or nice little processing phrases. Manolo González has made the target brutally clear: Espanyol’s only acceptable return from this stretch is nine points from three matches, starting with the away trip to Osasuna. That is the sort of line that leaves no room for spin. Win, win, win — or the week falls short.
And in truth, he is right to frame it that way. Espanyol are chasing what would be only their second victory of the season, which means this is already bigger than a routine league outing. The draw at home against Sevilla was a useful enough point, but it does not change the simple reality: if Espanyol want to shift the mood around the team, they need results, not reassurance.
González has drawn a line
Before the Osasuna match, González said the squad had spent the week working on ball rhythm and on the details that have not been quite right in the opening run of games. That is encouraging, but it also tells you where the discomfort lies. This is not a team that can lean on one or two obvious strengths and hope they carry everything. It has to sharpen up, and quickly.
His comments were not the language of a manager hoping for a respectable performance and a narrow defeat. Quite the opposite. “The only thing that matters is winning the three matches” was the message, and it was delivered with the sort of conviction that usually comes only when a coach knows the calendar is about to start judging everybody in public.
There is a logic to that too. Espanyol are heading into a week with several consecutive matches, and González knows the danger of drifting through it. Momentum in football is fragile. Miss a chance to build it, and suddenly every next game feels heavier than the last. Win the first one, though, and the whole week looks different.
What Espanyol want to take to Osasuna
González was also careful not to overstate the idea of controlling the game for 90 minutes. In Primera, he noted, very few teams can carry the weight of a match for the full distance. That is a sensible admission, not a defeatist one. It suggests Espanyol will try to compete at the highest level possible with their own weapons and, if they can dominate possession, great. If not, they will need to be ruthless with the moments they do get.
That is probably the right way to view this away test. González pointed out that Osasuna now have a different coach, a different style and a different feel, while Espanyol have also changed players since the last reference point. In other words, this is a live match, not a replay of some old script. The challenge is to arrive with clarity and leave with three points.
There was also a note of confidence around Bryan Zaragoza, with González saying the player is improving step by step and should continue to gain rhythm. Whether he starts or comes on later, the message was clear enough: he is expected to be ready and to contribute. That is another small but useful piece in a week that demands sharpness from top to bottom.
So the mission is simple, even if the execution will not be. Espanyol need the second victory of the season, they need it now, and they need it to launch a week that González has made into a no-excuses test. Anything less than a serious push for nine points would leave the whole stretch feeling like a missed opportunity.
