Espanyol will play its first preseason friendly against UE Olot at the Estadi Municipal de Olot this Saturday. Manolo González’s squad will use the match to gauge its progress after nine days of training. Sessions have taken place at the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque and at a focused camp in TorreMirona. The coaching staff has scheduled a final closed session at the team’s hotel on Saturday morning, with tactical adjustments and player readiness in focus ahead of the evening match.
The fixture opens Espanyol’s preseason schedule for the 2026/2027 campaign. González sees the match as a chance to assess the squad’s cohesion and fitness, while showing respect for UE Olot, which he has described as an admirable opponent. The team is due to travel to La Garrotxa’s capital in the afternoon, looking to set a positive tone for the rest of its preseason program.
Players and staff have completed demanding double training sessions focused on physical conditioning and tactical work. The closed morning session at the hotel is intended to fine-tune the team’s approach and prepare the players for the evening challenge. The coaching staff is also monitoring fitness and match readiness as the squad works to avoid early preseason injuries.
Preseason friendlies give clubs a chance to test formations and see how new signings and youth players fit before competitive fixtures begin. They also help coaching staff identify areas for improvement. Espanyol’s opener in Olot offers an early look at the team’s fitness and cohesion, but the result will not determine the season ahead. For more on organizations refreshing their lineups and strategies, see the recent coverage of new releases and updates in the PlayStation Plus July update.
Later in the campaign, González turned his attention to managing competitive match situations. Ahead of Espanyol’s 23 October 2026 league match against Racing de Santander at El Sardinero, he stressed the need to “control the moments of the match” and avoid individual errors that could undermine the team’s work. The Racing fixture opened a run of three consecutive away commitments. Espanyol then visited Sestao River in the Copa del Rey before facing Villarreal in the league.
For the Olot opener, the immediate test is how the squad responds to tactical demands and combines after its first nine days of training. The result is an early measure, not a verdict on the season. González and his staff will use the match to assess the team as preseason continues.
