Espanyol will continue their preseason preparations with a friendly against Pau FC of Ligue 2 on Tuesday evening at the Estadi Municipal de Peralada, kicking off at 19:30 CEST and broadcast on Esport3.
The match represents a step up in competition for Manolo González’s side following a 3-0 victory over Olot on Saturday, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo’s Anna Cordovilla. Pau FC’s status in French second-tier football will provide a more rigorous test of Espanyol’s physical and tactical readiness.
Several players expected to depart the club this summer – José Gragera, Miguel Rubio, José Salinas, Pablo Ramón, and Antoniu Roca – were absent from the Olot match, and this is expected to continue against Pau FC. González used the Olot fixture to assess all other available players.
Forwards Bauza and Marcos Fernández both found the net against Olot, while Roger Hinojo and Javi Hernández also impressed. The upcoming match offers a further opportunity for returning loanees to demonstrate their value and compete for a place in the first team ahead of the new La Liga season.
Attention will also be focused on Espanyol’s three summer signings: Àlex Calatrava, Hartman, and Moscardo. Calatrava made a positive debut against Olot, and the coaching staff will be keen to see if he can replicate that performance against a more challenging opponent.
The fixture also presents an interesting subplot with Pau FC winger Giovani Versini, 22, having reportedly been a player of interest to Espanyol this summer. Furthermore, Espanyol forward Omar Sadik, currently on loan at Ceuta, spent last season at Pau and will be familiar with Versini’s abilities.
Espanyol’s preseason schedule includes a further friendly against Sabadell on Saturday morning at the Ciudad Deportiva, now scheduled for a 10:30 kick-off. The team will then embark on a more demanding training tour in England later in July and August before beginning their La Liga campaign at the RCDE Stadium.
