Fernández derriba a Levante en la declaración inicial del Espanyol

Espanyol announced their intentions early and never looked back. Raúl Fernández broke the deadlock inside five minutes, catching Levante cold and setting a tone the visitors would struggle to recover from. The home side controlled possession and territory with ease, their midfield dictating play while Levante's travelling support watched their team retreat deeper into a defensive shell.

Fernández doubled the lead on 40 minutes to effectively settle the contest before half-time. Levante offered little resistance and offered less in the way of attacking threat, allowing Espanyol to cruise through large passages of the match. Three cautions for the hosts, including yellow cards for González, Calatrava and Hernández, suggested some unnecessary indiscipline, but nothing that threatened to derail their performance.

The second half followed the script laid out in the opening 45 minutes. Levante remained passive and disorganized, unable to build any meaningful play or create chances of substance. Espanyol continued to press forward without urgency, their superiority so complete that the match became a procession toward the final whistle. Tommy Dolan added the third goal on 80 minutes to put the seal on a dominant display.

This opening day victory gives Espanyol real momentum heading into their next fixture. The home crowd left satisfied with what they witnessed, while Levante face searching questions about a performance that lacked intensity and organization from start to finish. For Espanyol, the 3-0 result suggests a team ready to challenge in La Liga's upper reaches this season.