Omar El Hilali: A Win Against Elche Would Be a Turning Point for Espanyol
Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali is keeping it simple ahead of the Elche clash — the Parakeets need a win to snap a miserable run of form in 2026.
Espanyol’s Omar El Hilali has been refreshingly straight with it this week: win the game, change the mood. Simple as that.
Back to work after the Atleti bruising
The Parakeets were back at the Dani Jarque training ground after taking a loss at the Metropolitano last weekend. Nobody’s pretending that was a great result, but El Hilali was keen to point out it wasn’t a total shambles either — the lads showed character and there were positives to take, even if the three points weren’t on offer.
Now all eyes are on Saturday’s home fixture against Elche, and the mood in the camp, at least according to the full-back, is one of genuine belief that the tide can turn.
A rough patch, but nothing to panic about
Espanyol’s 2026 has been a proper slog, it has to be said. The second half of the season hasn’t gone to plan, and the results have been hard to watch. But El Hilali’s take on it is fairly measured:
- He acknowledged that bad runs happen to every squad — it’s football, innit
- He’s confident that it can flip at any moment
- The dressing room still has the hunger and the ambition to put things right
No doom and gloom from him, which is exactly what you want from a senior figure in the squad when things are a bit wobbly.
Defensive solidity is the key
One of the main themes coming out of El Hilali’s chat with the club media was the need to get back to being hard to beat at the back. He pointed to Espanyol’s defensive organisation as the foundation for their good early-season form, and reckons that’s the area they need to nail down again — both in and out of possession. It’s a bit of a ‘back to basics’ message, but sometimes that’s exactly what a team needs to hear.
One word: win
When asked what Espanyol need right now, El Hilali didn’t faff about. “The word is win. Right now, winning would be a turning point” — and honestly, you can’t argue with that logic. A victory over Elche wouldn’t just be three points; it’d shift the whole atmosphere around the club and give the squad a platform to build on heading into the business end of the season.
Manolo González’s men know what’s at stake. Whether they can deliver it is another matter, but at least the dressing room sounds switched on.