Relegation-confirmed Elche will be hosting European spot contenders and the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League finalists Sevilla at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero this week.
These two sides have faced off nine times in the recent past with the visitors on Wednesday winning six of those. The hosts have only been able to conjure up a single victory in the process. The last time these two sides met in the league was back in January this year and Sevilla won comfortably by a 3-0 margin. In the last two meetings between these two teams, Elche have conceded a minimum of two goals and have failed to keep a clean sheet in all of their games against Sevilla, overall. If Sevilla do manage to grab a victory at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero tomorrow, they will have completed a hattrick of wins against their opponents since February last year.
Elche have had a disappointing season and with only 20 points in their bank this term, they are stranded at the bottom of the table and are set to play in the Segunda division next season. Sebastian Beccacece, who is the sixth manager of Elche this season, has failed to turn things around for his side but Elche have managed to pick up two victories in their last five and are unbeaten in their last two. In fact, the basement dwellers picked up an impressive victory against Atletico Madrid just over a week ago. Fidel Chaves de la Torre’s winner against the Rojiblancos helped his side pick up a famous win while Lucas Boye’s equalizer against Getafe at the stroke of half-time helped Elche rescue a point at Getafe. So, while they are destined for the drop, the hosts will look to play for pride against a side that is on the ascendancy at the moment.
Elche had to wait for their first league victory until February and have only managed to pick up 20 out of a possible 105 points this term. So, their well-documented struggles this season, despite their recent form could come to the fore again on Wednesday. Omar Mascarell and Jose Angel Carmona have been ruled out due to their respective muscular injuries while Jony Alamo, the long-term absentee in Elche’s ranks, will also sit this one out. Enzo Roco, Carlos Clerc, and Tete Morente are all at risk of suspension for Elche’s next game against Athletic Club and so will have to walk a fine line on Wednesday.
Sevilla, at one point during the season, were in the drop zone. However, under Jose Luis Mendilibar, Sevilla have somewhat completed a remarkable turnaround as the 62-year-old has only overseen a solitary loss in the 13 matches he was in charge of the team. Also, Los Nervionenses are in their fifth UEFA Europa League final in the last 10 years which is another impressive feat in itself. As it stands, Sevilla are only two points behind seventh-placed Athletic Bilbao and so with a lot to play for, securing three vital La Liga points will be the need of the hour for the visitors.
This is a much bigger game for Sevilla than it is for Elche, who basically have nothing to lose at this stage of the season. So, we could expect the visitors to impose themselves early on in the game and prevent Elche from having any chances whatsoever. The fact remains that Sevilla have had an underwhelming season domestically and now face a rather tricky challenge at Elche. Sevilla have tasted three victories from their last five and have registered a loss. They have been somewhat inconsistent in this final stretch of the season but with their next game to be played against Real Madrid, they will know that their best shot at landing themselves a European berth will only come if they beat Elche.
Mendilibar will be without Joan Jordan for the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury while Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao could also sit this one out due to discomfort. Papu Gomez and Youssef En-Nesyri are at risk of missing the game against Real Madrid and must avoid picking up any more cautions in this vital fixture.
In a season where the goals have been hard to come by for Elche, Pere Milla has been one of the few positives for the home side. The 30-year-old has scored six goals and registered a solitary assist in his 28 appearances for the club in La Liga this term. He has a goal contribution percentage of 26 and is key to Elche’s chances of causing an upset on Wednesday.
Youssef-En Nesyri has been the leading goal scorer for Sevilla this season. The Moroccan is on 8 for the season and has been vital to this Sevilla turnaround. The striker has scored eight in La Liga and is one of the players to watch out for on Wednesday. He is a smart operator with incisive run-ins behind the opposition backline but it will be interesting to see how he fares against an Elche side that could potentially play a low-block.
Expert Opinion: Sevilla have a lot more to lose than Elche and this could potentially present a tricky challenge for the visitors, who have not been in the best of forms in Spain in the last few weeks. Sevilla though, are expected to come out on top nonetheless to set up an exciting finish for the race to Europe.
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