Espanyol W vs Alhama Match Recap - Oct 11, 2025

Espanyol Women’s Historic Resurgence Stuns Alhama in Spectacular First Victory

CIUDAD ESPORTIVA DANI JARQUE—Espanyol Women’s long wait for a victory is over, and the celebration came with a flourish. In a match that rewrote the narrative of their season, the Periquitas overwhelmed Alhama 3-0 in a display that blended clinical finishing, disciplined defense, and the unmistakable sense of a team discovering its pride at just the right moment.

The Turning of the Tide

From the opening whistle, Espanyol Women approached the match with urgency—a stark contrast to the cautious, sometimes hesitant side that had managed only three draws from their first six league outings. Ainoa Campo, whose season had been defined by near-misses, broke the deadlock in the 9th minute with a composed finish that settled nerves and ignited hope. The goal—her first of the campaign—was the culmination of a sustained spell of pressure, and it instantly shifted the burden onto Alhama, who arrived in Barcelona buoyed by back-to-back wins and dreaming of climbing further up the table.

Alhama, for all their recent attacking prowess, found themselves stifled by Espanyol’s compact midfield and a back line that, for once, refused to buckle under pressure. The visitors’ creative trio, so influential in recent weeks, were largely anonymous, their rhythm broken by Espanyol’s relentless pressing and tactical discipline. By halftime, Espanyol’s lead felt more than just a single goal; it was a statement of intent.

Baradad’s Moment, and a Night of Firsts

If the first half belonged to Campo, the second was defined by Ona Baradad, who doubled the lead in the 53rd minute with a strike that combined precision with power. It was her second goal of the season, but none had carried such weight. The midfielder, often tasked with playmaking duties, timed her run to perfection, latching onto a precise through ball before calmly slotting past the stranded Alhama goalkeeper.

From that moment, Espanyol played with a freedom that had been absent all season. Passes zipped across the turf, overlapping fullbacks surged forward, and the home crowd, sensing history, roared with each foray into Alhama territory. The third goal, arriving in the 90th minute from an as-yet-unknown scorer, was both a reward for persistence and a symbol of the collective spirit that had carried Espanyol to this breakthrough.

Context and Consequences

The result is a seismic shift for both clubs. Espanyol Women, previously anchored to the foot of the table with just three points from six matches, now have a lifeline—and proof that their rebuild can yield results. For Alhama, the loss is a reality check: after climbing to eighth on the strength of two wins, they were outclassed by a team with everything to prove.

Recent form had suggested a different outcome. Alhama entered the match with consecutive victories, including a 3-1 win over Deportivo de La Coruña and a 4-2 triumph at EdF Logroño, but their defensive frailties, occasionally masked by attacking firepower, were brutally exposed by an Espanyol side desperate to rewrite its story. Espanyol, meanwhile, had been stuck in a rut of draws and narrow defeats, their resilience not always matched by their ruthlessness in front of goal—until today.

The Road Ahead

For Espanyol, the challenge now is to build on this momentum. The victory lifts them off the bottom and injects belief into a squad that has often played better than its results suggested. With the psychological barrier of a first win broken, the next fixtures—against teams in the lower half of the table—offer a genuine opportunity to climb away from danger.

Alhama, meanwhile, must regroup. Their attacking talent is undeniable, but any aspirations of a top-half finish will require greater defensive solidity. This result is a reminder that consistency, not just flashes of brilliance, is the hallmark of teams that survive and thrive in the Primera División Femenina.

Conclusion

In the end, this was more than three points for Espanyol Women. It was a night when a team rediscovered its identity, when individual moments of quality were matched by collective resolve, and when the long road to respectability suddenly looked a little shorter. As the final whistle blew, the celebrations on the pitch and in the stands spoke of relief, joy, and the promise of better days ahead. For Alhama, it was a humbling lesson in the unforgiving nature of top-flight football—one that will test their character as much as their talent in the weeks to come.

The Washington Post