All 7 Spanish teams in the European competitions (Champions League and Europa League) have qualified to the Knockout stage. Espanyol was one of four Spanish teams that finished the Group Stage on top of their respective groups, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Getafe qualifying as runner-up.

Espanyol's unbeaten streak in European competitions

It lasted 26 games, counting the two seasons the Catalans participated in the Europa League. In the 2006/07 season, Espanyol reached the final, losing against Sevilla on the penalty shootout. They won 11 of the 15 matches in that edition, making arguably the best European campaign in the club's history.

This season, they remained unbeaten in 11 games played. Their streak came to an end this Thursday, as the team lost at home against CSKA Moscow (0-1). However, Espanyol had already guaranteed their spot in the knockout stage and the first place in Group H. From the second qualifying round until the knockout stage, Espanyol is showing an impressive consistency, with 8 wins in 12 matches and just 8 goals conceded.

Why they cannot replicate their European momentum in the domestic competition?

La Liga nightmare

With 11 losses in 16 matches, Espanyol are last in La Liga, five points behind Mallorca which is the first team outside the relegation zone. The team are winless at home, having just secured one point in 8 matches played at their home turf. The team made a huge investment for this season, spending almost €20 million in two players. The Argentinian winger Matías Vargas from Vélez Sarsfield (€10.50 million) and the Spanish center back Fernando Calero from Valladolid (€8.00 million) were the names added to a team that had the slight hope of securing the top 6 in La Liga this season.

The team sacked David Gallego last October and appointed former Sevilla and Girona manager Pablo Machin, but things haven´t been better.

For now, they have a mountain to climb in La Liga and dream to continue dreaming in Europa League.