Elche CF continues pre-season with another key test
Elche CF face Johor Darul Ta'zim FC this Friday, July 24 at 19:00 in La Nucía’s Camilo Cano Sports City. The Malaysian side brings a squad packed with Spanish footballers and is the most decorated club in Malaysian football, having dominated the Super League for over a decade.
What is Anselmi looking to gain from this match?
Martín Anselmi will use the friendly to manage player workloads. He’ll also trial tactical setups and give minutes to youth team players training with the first team. The franjiverde boss already opened the pre-season with a 2-1 win over South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs at Pinatar Arena.
Elche CF starts pre-season strongly and adds a second test this Friday in La Nucía. The team arrives with zero goals scored and zero conceded this season, keeping a perfect 0-goal difference record as they sit fifth in La Liga with zero points.
Johor FC: the Malaysian side packed with Spanish stars
Johor Darul Ta'zim - known as JDT or the Southern Tigers - is Malaysia’s most successful club. In 2015 it made history by lifting the AFC Cup, becoming the first Southeast Asian side to win the competition. The club is owned by Johor’s crown prince, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
The Malaysian side arrives in strong form. On Monday they crushed CD Contestano 0-8 in Alicante and earlier beat Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq. Their ranks include Spanish footballers with LaLiga experience such as Samu Castillejo - ex Málaga, Villarreal and Valencia - Natxo Insa - a former Celta and Levante player - and Jonathan Silva.
What comes next after the friendly?
After this second test, Elche CF will keep fine-tuning ahead of the official season kickoff. The franjiverde project aims to blend youth talent with tactical refinements before LaLiga starts, where they begin with zero goals scored and zero conceded.
