Despite their best eight-game start to a La Liga (LL) season since finishing fourth in 2017/18, Valencia are searching desperately for consistency as one of just two clubs in the top half of the standings (at the beginning of the round) without back-to-back LL wins this season. However there could be no better opportunity to correct that than by hosting crisis-ridden bottom-side Elche, in a clash between one of LL’s best first-half clubs and its worst.
Valencia’s recent heated 2-1 win at Osasuna – the fourth of their last five LL matches to have seen at least one player sent off – was rewarded yet again for an advantageous start as they maintained their perfect LL record when leading at half-time (W4). Valencia also remain undefeated as pre-match favourites this LL season (W3, D1) courtesy of thumping victories in their last two home outings – treating both Getafe (5-1) and Celta Vigo (3-0) with utter disdain.
Elche needed only 15 minutes to get the post-Francisco era off to a flying start, but still became the tenth LL team of this century to fail to win their first eight matches (D2, L6) after failing to convert an early lead into victory for a second consecutive game as they drew 1-1 vs Mallorca. Enjoying their first half-time lead of the LL season in that match was a small step forward for the bottom-placed club considering 13 of their 19 goals conceded in this LL campaign have been recorded in the first half.
The visitors have lost all four trips to Valencia this century, despite scoring in three, and with no more than one goal to their name in a LL game this season, Elche are going to need to continue improving defensively to break that drought. Jorge Almirón, in his second stint at the club, was appointed in midweek with hopes that he could be the man to ring in those improvements, and with his last victory as Elche boss coming against none other than Valencia, he could have happy memories of this H2H.
Players to watch: There could be pressure on Valencia midfielder André Almeida to score in a second consecutive LL home game as his fellow two goalscorers from their previous home outing may not be available. Lucas Boye, Elche’s only goalscorer from their last LL away trip, also scored in his previous trip to Valencia.
Hot stat: Valencia have failed to win five of their last six LL matches without suspended defender Mouctar Diakhaby (W1, D3, L2).
