Espanyol faces a stiffer preseason test on Tuesday evening when they take on Pau FC, a French Ligue 2 side, at the Estadi Municipal de Peralada. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 CEST, with the match broadcast on Esport3.

This fixture marks a deliberate elevation in difficulty following Espanyol's convincing 0-3 win over Olot in their first friendly of the summer. Pau FC presents a more demanding examination of where coach Manolo González’s squad currently stands, both physically and tactically.

The match against Olot allowed González to evaluate every available player, except for a group expected to leave this summer, including José Gragera, Miguel Rubio, José Salinas, Pablo Ramón, and Antoniu Roca. This pattern is likely to repeat tonight.

For the players who featured against Olot, encouraging signs emerged. Forwards Bauza and Marcos Fernández both scored, while Roger Hinojo and Javi Hernández also impressed. Tonight offers a platform for returning loanees to solidify their claims for first-team spots ahead of the new La Liga season.

Attention will also focus on the three new signings: Àlex Calatrava, Hartman, and Moscardo. Calatrava particularly made a positive first impression at Olot, and the coaching staff will assess whether that performance was a statement of intent.

Additionally, there is a subplot involving Pau FC winger Giovani Versini, who could have been on Espanyol's radar this summer. Omar Sadik, currently on loan at Ceuta, has first-hand knowledge of Versini’s qualities from their time together at Pau.