Espanyol defeated Levante 3-0 at RCDE Stadium in the opening weekend of the 2026-27 La Liga season on August 16. Roberto Fernandez scored twice in the first half, netting goals in the 5th and 40th minutes. Tyrhys Dolan added a third goal after 80 minutes to secure the victory for Espanyol [1, 2, 3].
Espanyol dominated possession in the first half, while Levante failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match [1, 2, 3]. Additionally, Levante’s 15-year-old Marc Santos made his La Liga debut as the club’s youngest-ever player, appearing as a substitute in the 64th minute [3].
In another game today, Racing Santander and Villarreal played to a 2-2 draw at El Sardinero. Racing took a 2-0 lead with goals from Andres Martin, who converted a penalty in the 21st minute, and Sergio Martinez in the 34th minute [3]. Villarreal rallied before halftime with strikes from Pape Gueye in the 45th minute and Nicolas Pepe in stoppage time (45+1) to level the score [3]. Both teams created chances in the second half but neither side could find a winner [3].
After the opening weekend, Espanyol joins Deportivo Alaves and Sevilla as leaders in La Liga with 3 points each [1, 2]. Eight of the 20 La Liga teams played matches this weekend [1, 2].
Looking ahead, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid will visit Espanyol for their first La Liga match of the season next Saturday, August 21 [1, 2]. The reigning champions Barcelona will follow with their season opener against Elche on Sunday, August 22 [1, 2].
