Expectations mount as Espanyol roll on

The city of Barcelona are used to having a team in the UEFA Champions League but there could be a second come 2008/09. RCD Espanyol's 3-0 win against Villarreal CF on Saturday has confirmed their ambitions of joining FC Barcelona in the premier European club competition.

Unbeaten run
Espanyol's victory was their first in six visits by Villarreal and stretched their unbeaten run to 14 league matches (16 in all competitions). It was also their biggest home win in eleven months and midfielder Valdo López said: "Our team is very ambitious and eager to achieve. There's a great deal of commitment and that shows on the pitch."

Best performance
Coach Ernesto Valverde's formula of combining homegrown talent with experience is certainly paying off, leading to a UEFA Cup final appearance last season. The penalty shoot-out defeat by Sevilla FC left Espanyol out of Europe this term, yet they have taken that form into the Primera División and a debut in the UEFA Champions League is now a real possibility. Valverde said after defeating Villarreal: "That was possibly the best first half we have played this season along with the ones against Athletic [Club] Bilbao and Real Madrid [CF]. This was a very important match and we played well in all areas."

Talent
Although their success has alerted rivals to the talent of Luis García, Raúl Tamudo and Iván De La Peña, Espanyol are proving the strength of their ambition by their determination to keep hold of them. "It's very important to have such a young squad but we know that when you're at the top other clubs take an interest in your players," said sporting director Paco Herrera. "But we will try to keep them here because this team has a good future."

Run continues
Indeed, Villarreal were one of the teams trying to buy Espanyol captain Tamudo, and he struck twice against them on Saturday to rise to second in the goalscorers' table behind Sevilla's Luis Fabiano. He went close to picking up his first league hat-trick but despite not managing it, the skipper remained sanguine, saying: "It doesn't matter that much. The important thing is that the team won, we kept up our good run and played well."