CORNELLA DE LLOBREGAT, Spain (Interstat) — Fernando Niño scored twice in the first half and Germán Valera added a late goal as Elche earned its first La Liga win of the season, defeating Espanyol 3-1 on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat. Elche played a man down after Federico Redondo was sent off in the sixth minute. Niño scored in the 26th and 29th minutes. Espanyol pulled one back through Víctor Chust in the 72nd, but Valera restored Elche’s two-goal lead in the 78th. Valera finished with one goal in 90 minutes. Yellow cards went to Elche’s Niño, Espanyol’s Edu Expósito and Clemens Riedel, and Elche’s Lucas Cepeda. Elche’s competition record improved to 1-4-3. Espanyol’s competition record fell to 3-5-3. Elche’s overall record is also 1-4-3, while Espanyol’s overall record is 3-5-3. Elche will visit Espanyol again on Sunday, Sept. 20.