The first round of LaLiga Santander is about to come to an end

After the draw between Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu, a duel that marked the close of the eighteenth matchday of the domestic competition, FC Barcelona is the sole leader. Nevertheless, a titanic battle is expected between Culés and Merengues to conquer the title.

Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla will do everything possible to keep up with both giants, while it is expected that Atletico Madrid will confirm the improvement of recent weeks to at least climb to the third position. On the other hand, Real Sociedad is displaying a sensational level, while newly promoted teams like Osasuna and Granada have passed the midpoint of the season with flying colors.

However, the situation of Espanyol is completely opposite to what has been commented up to now. David Gallego was replaced by Pablo Machin who, for now, has not been able to right the ship of the periquito. That is why the technical secretariat of the blanquiazul team is seriously considering the possibility of dispensing with his services, having contacted Francisco Rodriguez, Jorge Sampaoli and Luis Garcia, as reported by As and Cadena SER.

There is no doubt that Espanyol's situation is more than complex, as it is currently the bottom of the regular tournament in Spain (10 points). On the other hand, Deportivo Alaves, with Asier Garitano at the helm of their ship, occupies the fifteenth position with 19 points, 5 above the relegation zone to the Second Division. Even so, the vibes are not precisely positive because the team from Vitoria-Gasteiz has gone 4 consecutive matchdays without a victory, to which must be added the elimination in the Copa del Rey by Real Jaen. Does this worrying trend mean the departure of the former Leganes and Real Sociedad coach?