Espanyol has held out for a week in the direct promotion positions to the First Division. The goalless draw against Huesca, together with Eibar’s victory against Leganés, has destroyed the Parakeet team’s hopes of remaining in the privileged positions. Ramis’ team now begins a journey away from home, where the results have not been good for them. To begin with, they visit a very sunken Alcorcón. Bad field to go to in need.
Espanyol does not trust Alcorcón’s qualifying situation and assumes that they must improve their version away from home since this season they have only celebrated four away victories from fourteen outings.
The coach of the Catalan team, Luis Miguel Ramis, stressed in the press conference prior to the clash that they are reaching the final stretch of the season and in these games they must make it clear if they intend to fight for direct promotion, their great objective.
Therefore, returning to Barcelona with the three points in the pocket is a priority for the blue and white block, beyond any debate about the style of play.
Ramis stated that “quite definitive or “extremely important” days are coming and pointed out that the team must also define itself to achieve its objectives, in reference to promotion to the First Division.
The parakeet coach, at a press conference at the Dani Jarque Sports City prior to Sunday’s game against Alcorcón, insisted that the moment of truth has arrived: “Do we want to go up to First Division? Directly? It’s time to respond and “We have to fight until the end.”
Ramis recalled that the remaining days “can be counted almost on the fingers of the hands” and defined as an “opportunity” the possibility of reaching the top of the classification. “We are ready to attack first place and we will go for it,” he reflected after training.
The Catalan coach assured that the team “can be better, without a doubt” and did not hide that the version shown away from home is far from what was intended: “We have not shown a face that I like, but now it is very important get points. We have to change things and that’s what we’re here for.”
Another of Espanyol’s names, for very different reasons, is the Danish striker Martin Braithwaite, who, with 17 goals, is the top scorer in the Second Division and according to official LaLiga statistics, he scores every 3.7 shots.
Opposite is Alcorcón, who arrives at the event shaken after going three games without a win after two thrashing defeats against Leganés and Elche and a draw that came close to nothing at home against Tenerife.
The balance of historical confrontations between both teams in Santo Domingo is favorable to the hosts, who have won both League matches and tied the Copa del Rey match of the 2016/2017 season.
