Thank you for crossing the Diagonal”. On the day of the presentation of Martin Braithwaite (31) last September, Mao Ye, CEO of Espanyol, uttered those words with a certain sarcasm. Next to him, Domingo Catoira, sports director, rubbed his hands and showed a pregnant smile with double meaning. The signing of the Dane, a notable striker, was a coup de effect in a market so far disappointing, but it also meant scoring a goal against their greatest rival, Barça. Braithwaite had terminated his contract with the azulgranas with the hit of a checkbook days before, to later go to the Cornellà offices and stamp his signature with Espanyol without any transfer cost.
Few footballers have been as beloved as Braithwaite at the RCDE Stadium since then. But the Dane did not come from a rebound and to be a troupe. Quite the opposite. From the beginning his commitment to the club and his goals has been real. In his debut at San Mamés he scored the goal of the first victory in the League of the Diego Martínez era. Half a year later he is already the team's second highest scorer after Joselu (11 goals).
With his double against Mallorca, the attacker has seven goals in 18 league games, which is his best figure in Spain. With Barça he only scored five goals in 44 games in two and a half years (2020-22), while at Leganés he reached ten in 43 games, between 2018 and 2020, being his best record of six goals in the same season. . In the Barça team he reached 10 goals adding up all competitions.
But as important or even more important than his goals has been the moment in which he has achieved them. Joselu's injury a couple of weeks ago made him the reference striker and there he has shown that he has the goal-scoring nose that was expected of him. His performance, four goals in the last six games, has been essential for the team to stay away from relegation. And this despite having physical discomfort. "His commitment to him is brutal," highlights Diego Martínez. "He is managing the loads and making a great effort to be with the team," he added after the game against Mallorca.
Braithwaite has scored six of his seven goals at the RCDE Stadium. “I feel very good here. I want to achieve as many goals as possible in front of our fans, ”he assured.
The only World Cup player on the team, together with his teammate Joselu, they make up the second best scoring couple in the League (18 goals), tied with Benzema and Vinícius, and only surpassed by Lewandowski and Dembélé (20 goals).
