Elche vs Espanyol – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday afternoon, Espanyol will continue their quest for their inaugural win of 2026 as they travel to Estadio Martinez Valero to face Elche.

The visitors currently sit in seventh place in the La Liga standings due to their ongoing difficulties, while Elche is positioned 17th, just one point away from the relegation zone.

Match overview

Elche finds themselves perilously close to the drop zone at a crucial juncture of the season, holding 17th place in the table and just a single point above 18th-placed Mallorca.

This season has proven challenging for the Green-striped side, who secured promotion back to the top tier by finishing second in the Segunda Division last year.

Following a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao, Eder Sarabia’s team has not tasted victory in the league since their 4-0 thumping of Rayo Vallecano on December 21.

However, Elche has been resilient at home this season, losing only two of their 13 fixtures, which could boost their confidence ahead of this matchup.

Espanyol, on the other hand, boasts the sixth-best away performance in Spain’s top flight this season, accumulating 15 points from their last 12 away encounters.

The away team displayed great form in the first half of the season, but 2026 has been quite difficult for the Catalan side, who have not won since a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on December 22.

Throughout their eight matches in La Liga during 2026, Espanyol has only managed to gain two points and will be approaching this fixture after a 4-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid.

Manolo Gonzalez’s side is currently seventh in the league, trailing sixth-placed Celta Vigo by two points, meaning that there remains potential for a successful season if they can rediscover their winning touch.

In previous contests, Espanyol has secured 20 wins out of their last 48 encounters against Elche in all competitions, including a 1-0 victory in the previous matchup between these teams this season.

The Catalan club has only suffered one defeat in their last eight league meetings with Elche, remaining unbeaten in five heading into this weekend’s clash.

Elche La Liga form:

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Spanish La Liga form:

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Team News

Elche will be without on-loan Barcelona defender Hector Fort due to a shoulder injury, while Alvaro Rodriguez’s participation in this weekend’s match will be assessed prior to the fixture.

Yago Santiago is also suspended and unavailable for the match following his red card against Athletic Bilbao.

Rafa Mir came off the bench to substitute for the injured Rodriguez in the latter stages of the match against Athletic Bilbao, and he may now start alongside Andre Silva in the attack.

On the Espanyol side, Javi Puado will miss the remainder of the season due to a serious knee injury.

Yet to secure a win in 2026, head coach Gonzalez is actively searching for the right configuration, with Edu Exposito’s strong showing off the bench against Atletico likely to earn him a starting role this weekend.

In addition, there may be a shift in the attacking third, with Roberto Fernandez expected to replace Kike Garcia.

Elche probable starting XI:

Dituro; Chust, Affengruber, Bigas; Morente, Cepeda, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Mir, Silva

Espanyol probable starting XI:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Zarate; Dolan, Exposito, Carreras; Fernandez

Something must change for Espanyol, and they will face an Elche side that is also experiencing a tough spell. A draw on Sunday wouldn’t be unexpected, but we have a feeling that the visitors might find a way to secure a crucial victory.