Ten things you may not know about the Power8 Stadium

• The stadium can be found between the Barcelona satellite towns of Cornellà de Llobregat and El Prat de Llobregat, with the majority of its premises being located in the municipal district of El Prat. That’s why it’s often given the moniker “Corneprat”.

• Mark Fenwick and Esteve Gasulla were the main architects of this technological gem which has a beautiful vanguard design.

• It opened its doors on the 2nd of August, 2009, to welcome Liverpool FC, in a game which saw the Catalan side end up beating the English team 3-0.

• The ‘blanquiazul’ striker Luis García was the first goal scorer in the new stadium. After 20 minutes, the Asturian player hit the back of the Liverpool net and in doing so wrote his name into the history of the Catalan club.

• The first win in a competitive game at Cornellà took a while to come; it didn’t arrive until the 23rd of September, 2009, when the ‘blanquiazules’ beat Malaga (2-1) in la Liga BBVA.

• Its structure is similar to English grounds. The reason for this type of design is to direct all the sound from the stands towards the pitch, so that the players feel the warmth of the crowd.

• Apart from sporting uses, the Power8 Stadium has other uses. The celebration of other events during the year, such as congresses, conferences or weddings is another attraction of the ‘Espanyolista’ home.

• It has been rated as a 4 star stadium according to the Elite Stadium categories list made by UEFA. This rating makes the ground a category 4 stadium, the highest category that exists.

• It’s a marvel of innovation, but it also cares about the environment and energy efficiency. The roof is made up of solar panels which cover the two main stands and the ends, allowing significant energy savings.

• After playing their games in the Estadio de Montjuïc (1997-2001), subsequently called Olímpico Lluís Companys (2001-2009), Espanyol left that period behind in order to once again have their own home.