Celta Vigo will aim to heap more misery on La Liga basement dwellers Elche when the two sides face off at Abanca-Balaidos on Wednesday night.
Having won just two of their 30 league matches this season, Elche find themselves 15 points adrift at the foot of the table – 23 points behind 13th-placed Celta.
Match preview
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When Celta Vigo notched a seven-game unbeaten run between mid-February and early April – picking up three wins and four draws in the process – it looked as though Carlos Carvalhal's had steered clear of relegation trouble.
However, following back-to-back losses, the Sky Blues find themselves just six points clear of the drop zone with eight matches remaining, while four of the seven teams below them picked up a positive result at the weekend.
After suffering a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Mallorca, Celta Vigo were beaten 2-0 at the Bernabeu on Saturday, with goals from Marco Asensio and Eder Militao handing Real Madrid a comfortable victory.
Not only have Celta lost each of their last two games, but they have also failed to win any of their previous four, with draws against Almeria and Sevilla preceding the recent defeats.
Although the Galicia outfit can take confidence from the fact that they have avoided defeat in six of their last eight home matches – winning three of their previous six – Carvalhal's men cannot afford to rest on their laurels when lowly Elche come to town.
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It was always going to be difficult for Elche to recover from a 19-game winless run at the beginning of the season, as Los Franjiverdes recorded six draws and 13 losses before securing their first victory of the campaign in early February.
The relegation-doomed strugglers have taken just four points from a possible 30 since defeating Villarreal 3-1, with last month's shock 1-0 victory at Mallorca breaking up the torrent of defeats for Sebastian Beccacece's side.
Believe it or not, Beccacece is the club's fourth permanent manager this term, as the 42-year-old replaced Pablo Machin on March 21 following the previous departures of Francisco and Jorge Almiron.
Elche head into Wednesday's clash on a five-match losing streak after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Valencia on Sunday, meaning that Los Franjiverdes have lost 21 of their 30 La Liga clashes this season.
Having conceded at least two goals in each of their last five games – scoring a solitary goal in reply – it is easy to understand why Elche find themselves 17 points from safety with a sorry goal difference of -41.
Team News
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Carles Perez (ankle) and Joseph Aidoo (foot) missed Sunday's defeat at Real Madrid due to injury, while Oscar Mingueza (ACL) and Agustin Marchesin (thigh) remain sidelined.
Ivan Villar will continue to deputise between the sticks for Celta Vigo, with Unai Nunez and Renato Tapia expected to occupy the centre-back roles on Wednesday.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Benfica loanee Haris Seferovic will be joined in attack by Iago Aspas, who has bagged 12 goals and four assists in 30 La Liga outings this term.
Elche, on the other hand, look set to be without the injured trio of Jony Alamo (knee), Jose Angel Carmona (muscle) and Helibelton Palacios (muscle) for the foreseeable future.
Pedro Bigas is a doubt for Wednesday's clash after being forced off early against Valencia last time out, so Lautaro Blanco could come into the visitors' starting XI.
Having netted seven goals this season, top scorer Pere Milla is Elche's biggest attacking threat, while Lucas Boye has contributed three goals and four assists in 2022-23.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Villar; Vazquez, Tapia, Nunez, Galan; Solari, Veiga, Beltran, De la Torre; Aspas, Seferovic
Elche possible starting lineup:
Badia; Morente, Mascarell, Gonzola, Blanco, Clerc; Guti, Nwankwo, Fidel; Milla, Boye
We say: Celta Vigo 2-0 Elche
We expect Celta Vigo to return to winning ways with a straightforward victory over Elche, who are on course to suffer a sixth successive defeat as their top-flight status continues to slip away.
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