Espanyol need to rediscover their home-winning form

A home win has become vital for Espanyol, whose form at the RCDE Stadium has been fragile in 2026. They host Atlético de Madrid on Saturday in a demanding fixture, having won only two of the 14 matches they have played at their ground this year.

Their most recent home match came on September 18, when Espanyol lost 3-1 to Elche. The defeat was especially painful because the visitors played with 10 men for a lengthy spell.

That record contrasts with the first half of last season’s Liga, when Espanyol enjoyed a particularly strong run and were difficult to beat at home. In the previous Liga campaign, the win over Athletic on May 13 had almost secured their survival, which was ultimately confirmed in Pamplona. Their other home victory this year came against Levante.

The priority now is to reverse the trend and make the RCDE Stadium a place where Espanyol can build a valuable points cushion. Atlético provide a major test on Saturday, although Espanyol have had success against the Madrid side. Asked about the match, Riedel said: “It’s good to play at home, especially with the fans on our side. It will be a great match, and it’s lovely to play at home. It will be a very difficult game.”