Elche Faces Struggles as Away Performance Deteriorates

omidbasir- Elche CF’s away performance has reached a concerning level. Notably, they are the only team in La Liga without a victory on the road and, alongside Alavés, hold the record for the poorest away performance in the league. Following Osasuna’s recent win against Rayo Vallecano (1-3), Elche stands alone as the only team without away triumphs this season. Furthermore, Elche and Alavés have managed to secure only four points out of a possible 30 in their away matches. It is worth noting that Alavés has indeed experienced an away win.

Adding to the frustration, the team coached by Eder Sarabia failed to maintain leads in their last two away games. In their match against Valencia (1-1), a late penalty awarded for a handball by Diangana cost them the victory. Similarly, in their clash with Levante (3-2), Elche initially took the lead, but after Levante mounted a comeback, Adam equalized in the dying moments only for Elche to concede a late goal. This loss was particularly disheartening as Levante had been the only team in La Liga without a home victory until they faced Elche.

Elche’s away form has declined significantly; they began the season with three consecutive draws but have since recorded one draw and six losses in their last seven outings. They managed to scrape a point in matches against Atlético de Madrid (1-1), Sevilla (2-2), and Osasuna (1-1). However, they then suffered five consecutive defeats against Alavés (3-1), Espanyol (1-0), Barcelona (3-1), Getafe (1-0), and Mallorca (3-1). They briefly halted this negative streak with another draw at Mestalla (1-1) but fell again to Levante (3-2).

In light of their dismal away statistics, the significance of Martínez Valero Stadium has grown for Elche’s season. At home, they have earned 83% of their 24 points and have emerged as one of the strongest home teams in the league. In fact, only the top four clubs—Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Villarreal—have accumulated more points at home than Elche.

Currently on a four-match winless streak and with their lead over the relegation zone narrowed to just three points, Elche will aim to turn their fortunes around in a challenging match against league leaders Barcelona on Saturday at 21:00. Compounding their difficulties, they will be without key player Aleix Febas, who is sidelined due to a suspension from yellow cards.