La Liga bottom club Elche will welcome fellow relegation candidates Celta Vigo to Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero this Friday, looking to get their first win of the season.
Venue: Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero (Elche)
Key Statistics
Elche are winless in La Liga this season (D4, L11).
They have scored the joint-least goals in the league and also conceded the most league goals.
Celta Vigo are winless in their last eight league games (D2, L5).
They have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight league games.
The visitors are winless in six away league games (D1, L5).
Head to head
Both sides have four wins each in the last ten head-to-head meetings between them.
Meanwhile, all but one of the eight Liga H2Hs this century (since 2013/14) have produced two or fewer total goals.
Latest performances in all competitions
Elche: L-L-W-L-L
Celta Vigo: L-D-W-W-D
Elche
Despite playing almost half of the league games this season, Elche are still looking for their first league win of the 2022/23 La Liga season.
The hosts are making the second-worst 15-game start to a La Liga season in history, having lost eleven of their opening 15 league games (D4). That return of just four points from an available 45 has them sitting eight points adrift of 19th place.
They come into this tie on the back of a narrow 2-0 away loss to Atletico Madrid. The result was the first game of new manager Pablo Machin. Elche’s home fans will get their first chance to welcome the Spaniard, who is the club’s fifth manager of the 2022/23 season.
Machín praised the competitive nature of his side against one of the strongest sides Atlético can offer, despite their defensive unit folding shortly after captain Gonzalo Verdú was sent off.
The hosts kept a first-half clean sheet in that match for just the third time this league season–something they will hope to build upon as they attempt the almost impossible task of climbing off the foot of the table.
This upcoming fixture against fellow relegation contenders Celta Vigo is a vital opportunity to keep their survival hopes alive. They should offer another competitive showing, illustrated by the fact that their three losses to bottom-half clubs after 15 rounds (D3, L3) came via a single goal.
Possible Elche starting line-up
Edgar Badia; Diego Gonzalez, Enzo Roco, Pedro Bigas; Helibelton Palacios, Carlos Clerc, Omar Mascarell, Raul Guti; Pere Milla, Roger, Lucas Boye.
Injured: Jony Alamo, John Donald Chetauya
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Gonzalo Verdu, Domingos Quina
Celta Vigo
Like Elche, Celta Vigo have also struggled this season. They come into this tie sitting one place and one point above the relegation zone after recording just three wins this season (D4, L8).
The visitors also changed their manager in mid-season but are yet to reap the rewards of a change of guard in the league, especially with new boss Carlos Carvalhal yet to transfer some early-round Copa Del Rey thrashings into a league victory.
Their equal-worst start to a league campaign this century (by points earned) had them starting this round at least four points adrift of 15th place, meaning that an escape from the bottom portion of the table will be tricky.
To add to their concerns, Celta appears the most likely club to surrender all three points to Elche for the first time this season, having suffered the same winless record as their visitors (D3, L5, GD -8) over the last eight rounds of league football.
And after failing to convert a half-time lead into victory for the second time in four La Liga games during their 1-1 draw with Sevilla in the last round, they too struggled during the second half of games late into 2022.
Possible Celta Vigo starting line-up
Agustin Marchesin; Oscar Mingueza, Joseph Aidoo, Unai Nunez, Hugo Mallo, Javi Galan; Gabriel Veiga, Fran Beltran, Franco Cervi; Iago Aspas, J. Strand Larsen.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Elche 0-0 Celta Vigo
