Elche CF face a stern test in the seventh matchday of La Liga as they travel to face RCD Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium this Friday. The franjiverdes are in desperate need of points after a 2-3 defeat to Real Madrid last time out, a result that extends their poor run of form.
League position pressure
The need for a reaction is urgent. With just one point from the last fifteen available, Elche are mired in the lower reaches of the table. A victory in Cornellà-El Prat would provide a massive boost to their seasonal ambitions.
The manager, who deployed a 4-5-1 against Madrid with Dituro in goal and Osorio up front, must find solutions for a squad that has shown defensive fragility. Across the last five matches, the team has conceded thirteen goals. The most concerning absence could be full-back Buba Sangaré, who came off with discomfort in the last game and is being assessed by the medical staff. His natural replacement would be the young Revivo.
The opposition, Espanyol
They will face an Espanyol side also searching for consistency. The pericos are coming off a loss away to Rayo Vallecano (1-2), but had secured an important win in Pamplona prior to that. Their manager, Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, 'Míchel', typically relies on a 4-2-3-1 system with the experienced Dmitrović in goal and their attack revolving around Roberto Fernández.
Recent history offers little encouragement for the visitors. Elche have not won at Espanyol's ground for several seasons, a statistic the franjiverde dressing room will be keen to change. To do so, the contribution of players like Gonzalo Villar in creativity and the sharpness of Germán Valera, one of the team's most dangerous players, will be key.
The full squad and their performance data are available in our squad section. The match will be played on Friday, September 18th at 21:00 local time, with Javier Alberola Rojas as the referee. Following this fixture, Elche CF will have a week of training before hosting their next opponent at the Martínez Valero, a schedule you can review on our fixtures page. The club's board is confident the team can make a statement and start climbing the table immediately.
