Espanyol secured a valuable away victory by defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in a match corresponding to the 17th round of LaLiga. According to information from the Argentine News Agency, the home team started the match better and took the lead in the 37th minute with a goal from Alex Berenguer after several clear approaches on the goal defended by Marko Dmitrovic. However, Espanyol reacted quickly and equalized in the 43rd minute when Carlos Romero accurately executed a free-kick from outside the area that went in off the left post. In the second half, the visiting team struck at the perfect moment: in the sixth minute, Pere Milla pushed the ball into the net following a cross from Tyrhys Dolan to set the definitive 2-1 score. From there, Athletic persistently tried, made offensive changes, and accumulated chances, but they faced a well-organized defense and a lack of efficiency in the final meters. In the final minutes, the Basque team had several chances to equalize, including shots from Oihan Sancet, Unai Gómez, and Gorka Guruzeta, although none of them managed to be converted. With this victory, Espanyol remains in fifth place with 33 points in the Europa League zone, while Athletic Club dropped to eighth place with 23 points and lost the chance to climb the table.
