Elche CF have been drawn against UD Pinatar in the first round of the Copa del Rey. The single-leg tie will be played between 27 and 29 October in San Pedro del Pinatar, a town where the LaLiga side trained just last week.
Pepe Contreras, the club's technical secretary, expressed his satisfaction with the draw. "We are happy with the result of the draw, especially because of the proximity, in a town we visited last week during our training camp," he said. His counterpart, José Antonio Contreras, added: "Happy about the proximity, in a town where we have just finished a training camp."
UD Pinatar competes in the Preferente, the regional level of Spanish football. They qualified for this round by defeating Atlético Ciudad de Melilla with an emphatic 11-0 aggregate score. The likely venue is the municipal José Antonio Pérez stadium, though this is not yet confirmed due to the competition's requirements for hosting a Copa match.
This draw comes at a tough time for Elche CF, who sit 18th in LaLiga with just 5 points from seven games. Their next fixture is at home to Celta Vigo on 11 October, a key match in their battle to climb out of the relegation zone. The team's recent form reads one win, one draw and three defeats from their last five outings.
Facing a lower-tier opponent offers the coaching staff a chance to give minutes to squad players and manage the team's workload. With a packed league schedule every weekend, this cup tie can be used to test alternatives.
Striker Fer Niño, the team's top scorer this season with five goals, will be a key asset across all competitions. The team has scored 11 league goals but conceded 17, a negative balance they need to improve urgently. The full squad is listed on the official squad page.
The Copa del Rey match therefore shapes up as a different kind of test within a challenging campaign. Cup dreams are always alive, but the immediate focus remains on picking up points in the domestic league. The draw has been favourable due to the short travel distance, avoiding long trips that could disrupt preparation for LaLiga fixtures.
More detail at La Tercera
