Elche vs Espanyol prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-02-18 13:00.
Having endured a nightmare centenary year, Elche avoided setting their worst-ever winless top-flight run by beating Villarreal 3-1 at home last weekend for their first league triumph of the season. They were powerless to stop La Liga’s (LL) reigning champions Real Madrid from demolishing them 4-0 in the midweek round, and as a consequence they face a 12-point gap to safety ahead of this matchday. It ought not come as a surprise then that their nine points after 21 games is fewer than at the same stage of any league campaign this century!
Returning home might boost Elche as they prepare to welcome Espanyol, but they’ll still be without forward Pere Milla who sustained an injury after scoring a hat-trick in that Villarreal victory. Their focus should perhaps be on their defending after conceding within the opening half hour in each of their last six LL contests (W1, D2, L3). That is something they have notably avoided against Espanyol in two of their three-game unbeaten H2H run (W2, D1).
Espanyol are clinging to their position above the drop zone ahead of this round, sitting in 16th place just one point above the bottom three. Their three-game winless LL run (D1, L2), stretched out by a 3-2 loss to Real Sociedad, threatens to pull them down further. The Periquitos are also flying low on their travels, having picked up just two wins from their last 19 top-flight away games (D8, L9)!
Notably, the visitors are unbeaten in LL games against the current bottom three ahead of the weekend (W1, D2) so Elche represents the type of opposition they have flourished against. Wins will be a priceless commodity as Espanyol aim to steer the ship away from that trio, and with only Elche picking up fewer league victories than their four this season, this appears to be a true relegation ‘six point’ battle!
Key battle: Elche might see plenty of work from all-action defender José Ángel Carmona at both ends of the pitch, as he has picked up a goal and two yellow cards from his last three appearances. Carmona may be relieved about Espanyol’s top-scorer Joselu's continued absence, but Martin Braithwaite poses a threat in his absence after scoring two goals from his last four appearances, in addition to netting in the reverse draw.
Hot stat: Elche are unbeaten in 18 of their 20 top-flight home H2Hs (W13, D5, L2), that’s more home LL wins than against any other side.