Espanyol held 1-1 at home by Sabadell in third preseason friendly

Published Jul 25, 11:16 AM UTC

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Espanyol played their third preseason match at the Dani Jarque sports complex against Sabadell, a team recently promoted to the Liga Hypermotion. After winning their first two friendlies against Pau and Olot, Espanyol struggled to control the match and created few chances. Sabadell took the lead in the 72nd minute through an own goal by Rubén Sánchez. Espanyol equalized four minutes later when Kike García scored with a curling left-footed shot after a pass from Roger Hinojo. In the final moments, Espanyol nearly won the match: Jofre hit a curling shot inches wide, and Pere Milla headed against the crossbar in stoppage time. The match ended 1-1. Espanyol's next preseason fixture is against Burnley in England.

Source report

Updated: 25/07/2026 - 13:09 CEST By: Santi Oliván

Espanyol played their third match of the preseason this morning at the Dani Jarque training ground. After securing convincing victories in their first two friendlies against Pau (France) and Olot, the blue-and-whites faced a tougher test against Sabadell, a side recently promoted to the Liga Hypermotion. Espanyol showed more doubts than in previous matches and needed a late goal from Kike García to salvage a draw.

The match was originally scheduled for the afternoon but was moved to the morning. Manolo González fielded the following starting lineup:

Dmitrovic, Cabrera, Urko, Hartman, Omar, Edu Expósito, Moscardo, Cala, Dolan, Marcos Fernández, and Roberto Fernández

The first half was poor from Espanyol, who created no chances at all.

The second half did not bring much improvement. Substitutions failed to lift the team significantly, and Espanyol struggled to control and dominate the match. Imprecise in possession, they generated almost no opportunities until the final moments. Sabadell took the lead in the 72nd minute through an own goal from Rubén Sánchez.

In the closing stages, Espanyol pushed forward with pride. Kike García, one of the team's top scorers in preseason, leveled the match in the 76th minute. Roger Hinojo delivered a perfect ball into space, leaving the striker one-on-one with the goalkeeper. García controlled and finished brilliantly, curling his left-footed shot into the net.

Espanyol came close to snatching a winner. Jofre nearly scored with a curling effort, and in stoppage time, Pere Milla headed a cross from Roger Hinojo that struck the crossbar. Despite the late rally, Espanyol could only manage a draw.

The next match will be on English soil against Burnley.

Match Details

Espanyol: Dmitrovic, Urko, Cabrera, Omar, Hartman, Edu Expósito, Moscardo, Dolan, Cala, Marcos Fernández, Roberto Fernández. Also entered: Fortuño, Rubén Sánchez, Riedel, Pol Lozano, Pere Milla, Kike García, Jofre, Javi Hernández, Bauza, Timera, Hinojo.

Coach: Manolo González.

Sabadell: Diego Fuoli, Genar Fornés, Codina, Arthur Bonaldo, Ton Ripoll, Pere Pons, Óscar Sanz, Yanis Rahmani, López-Pinto, Urri, Joel Priego. Also entered: José Ortega, Manel Estévez, Carlos Alemán, Eneko Aguilar, Rodrigo Escudero, Miguelete, Mario Torres, Lluís Estebe, Catalá, Alain Ribeiro, Hudson, Liameed, Sergio Sandoval.

Coach: Ferran Costa.

Goals:

0-1: Rubén Sánchez (o.g.) – 72'
1-1: Kike García – 76'

Referee: David López.

Source

LALIGA EA Sports // marcaWestern

Original headline: El Espanyol empata ante el Sabadell en su estreno en casa

Original language: ES

Part of this Story

Espanyol Draws 1-1 with Sabadell in Home Preseason Debut

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