Espanyol could hardly have asked for a better start to their LaLiga campaign after cruising to a convincing 3-0 victory over Levante.
Playing in front of their home supporters, Espanyol looked confident from the opening minutes and quickly established control of the match.
The biggest star of the afternoon was Roberto Fernández, who scored twice in the first half to put Espanyol firmly in charge.
His performance gave the home side exactly what they needed. Rather than allowing Levante to settle into the game, Espanyol attacked with purpose and made their chances count.
By half-time, they already had a comfortable advantage.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Espanyol continuing to look dangerous and eventually adding a third goal to complete a convincing opening-day victory.
For a team starting a new LaLiga campaign, this was exactly the kind of performance supporters dream about. Three goals, a clean sheet and three points created the perfect atmosphere around the club.
Roberto Fernández will naturally receive much of the attention after his brace, but the victory was also a strong team effort. Espanyol defended well, moved the ball confidently and rarely allowed Levante to build any real momentum.
The result will also give the squad plenty of confidence going forward.
Opening-day matches can sometimes be nervous affairs, especially when both teams are desperate to start strongly. Espanyol avoided that problem completely.
Instead, they looked like a team that knew exactly what they wanted.
For Levante, the afternoon was obviously much more frustrating. They struggled to find a way back into the match once Espanyol took control.
There is still a long season ahead, but Espanyol have already sent an early message.
If they can produce more performances like this, they could become a very difficult team to face.
