Elche and Espanyol faced off at the Estadio Martínez Valero on Sunday, with the match kicking off at 13:00 UTC, as Espanyol sought to break an eight-game winless streak in LaLiga. Elche entered the contest with 25 points, following a 2-1 loss to Athletic Club, while Espanyol held 35 points and sat in seventh position.
The lineups confirmed several changes for both sides. For Elche, Dituro started in goal, with a defense comprised of Petrot, Affengruber, Bigas, and Germán Valera. The midfield featured Cepeda, Aguado, and Febas, supporting the attacking trio of Tete Morente, Rafa Mir, and André Silva. Espanyol’s starting eleven included Dmitrovic in goal, with El Hilali, Cabrera, Riedel, and Romero forming the back line. Urko, Pol Lozano, and Edu Expósito occupied the midfield, while Pere Milla, Dola, and Kike García led the attack.
Edu Expósito and Pere Milla were named as new additions to Elche’s starting lineup, replacing Calero and Jofre. Espanyol’s team saw Rafa Mir partner with André Silva, meaning Álvaro Rodríguez began the match on the bench. Affengruber returned to the starting eleven for Elche, taking the place of Chust.
Espanyol’s recent form had been challenging, having suffered a 4-2 defeat against Atlético de Madrid at the Riad Air Metropolitano. This result extended their winless run to eight matches. They were two points behind Celta de Vigo, who occupied the sixth position and a spot in the Conference League qualification phase. Elche, meanwhile, were just one point above the relegation zone.
Leading goalscorers for Elche entering the match were Rafa Mir with six goals, followed by André da Silva with six, and Álvaro with five. For Espanyol, Pere Milla led with six goals, with Roberto scoring five, and Cabrera and Kike García each contributing four.
Key players for Elche included M. Neto with four assists, while for Espanyol, Pere Milla led in shots with 17. Cabrera had the most passes for Espanyol with 1009.
