Espanyol vs PAU

Manolo González made only two changes at the break — Marko Dmitrović replaced Fortuño in goal, and Urko González came on for Bauzà in midfield. Pau started the second half with more intensity and came closest to pulling one back on 56 minutes when Openda rattled the crossbar with a shot that beat Dmitrović.

Gonzalez then rang the changes, introducing nine fresh players around the hour mark, including new signings Álex Calatrava, Hartmann and Moscardó (source: lagrada.org).

Espanyol's third goal arrived from a set piece in the 73rd minute. Calatrava's corner delivery was met by veteran centre-back Leandro Cabrera, who powered a header past the Pau goalkeeper to make it 3-0.

Tyrhys Dolan then turned provider, driving down the flank and delivering a cross that Marcos Fernández — who also scored against Olot — met with a firm header in the 80th minute to complete the scoring (source: RCD Espanyol official match report).

Openda's 56th-minute strike against the woodwork was Pau's best opportunity to halve the deficit. Had it gone in, the game might have taken a different complexion with Espanyol's mass substitutions still to come. Instead, the miss allowed González to introduce his changes in a controlled environment, and Espanyol's depth told in the final 20 minutes.

• Rafel Bauzà: Scored for the second consecutive pre-season game, opening the scoring with a composed individual finish. The midfielder is building a strong case for regular minutes (source: RCD Espanyol official site).
• Kike García: The experienced striker got his first goal of pre-season with a well-taken header just before half-time, and had earlier forced saves from Salles.
• Leandro Cabrera: The Uruguayan defender added a third goal from a corner, demonstrating Espanyol's threat from set pieces.
• Marcos Fernández: Two goals in two pre-season appearances. The forward again showed a poacher's instinct with a late headed finish.

Player of the match: Rafel Bauzà — his early goal set the tone and his energy in midfield was a constant feature.

The 4-0 scoreline reflected Espanyol's dominance, though the underlying patterns were typical of a pre-season friendly: heavy rotation (nine second-half substitutions for Espanyol), a cooling break interrupting the first-half rhythm, and a natural drop in intensity after the hour mark. The clean sheet, however, is a positive — Espanyol have now conceded zero goals in 180 minutes of pre-season football.

Espanyol have built momentum with back-to-back pre-season victories (3-0 vs UE Olot on 18 July, 4-0 vs Pau on 21 July). Manolo González's side continue their preparations on Saturday 25 July against CE Sabadell at 10:30 local time in Peralada. Pau FC, who finished ninth in Ligue 2 last season and had won their two previous friendlies, will take lessons from the defeat as they build towards their own league campaign.

A professional pre-season performance from Espanyol, who combined an early goal with patient build-up play and clinical finishing. The squad depth — particularly the quality introduced from the bench — was encouraging. Pre-season results carry caveats, but the patterns of play and defensive organisation will satisfy González.