Good evening! Two sides battling at opposite ends of the table go head-to-head tonight as Eibar try to close in on the European places, while Elche will be hoping to put since distance between themselves and the bottom three. Let's start with a look at the teams...

EIBAR STARTING XI: Irureta, Boveda, Anibarro, Lillo, Navas, Arruabarrena, Borja, Garcia, Berjon, Lara, Piovaccari

ELCHE STARTING XI: Tyton, Suarez, Roco, Lomban, Albacar, Aaron, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Pasalic, Fajr, Jonathas

EIBAR SUBSTITUTES: Jaime, Ekiza, Capa, Boateng, Angel, Nieto, Lekic

ELCHE SUBSTITUTES: Yague, Rodrigues, Galvez, Domingo, Herrera, Coro, Gimenez

Eibar are still without Manu del Moral, Didac Vila and Abraham, who are all injured, but Federic Piovaccari and Javier Lara will continue to lead the attack.

Jonathas will surely be the man to watch for the visitors. The striker already has eight goals this season, but he's gone almost a month without finding the back of the net.

Despite their league position, Eibar, who were only promoted last season, are without a win in their last three matches. In fact, they've lost their last three outings in the league. By contrast, Elche's form has taken an upturn recently, with three wins from their last five outings, which has moved them out of the relegation zone.

At his pre-match press conference yesterday, Eibar coach Gaizka Garitano told reporters: "The future of Eibar is decided by games like tomorrow. It will be the most important game we have played, more important than Madrid or Barcelona and Athletic [Bilbao] when they come. We have done a lot of work and have corrected errors. I am optimistic."

Meanwhile, Elche's coach Fran Escriba said at his media briefing: "Survival, for most, relies heavily on victories at home, but against rivals all points are very important. We feel that the team is growing. On Monday we have another important and very close game, but I see my players getting better as they have continuity and have taken a step forward. The group is doing very well physically."

PREDICTION! With just a few minutes until kick off, it's time for a quick prediction. Eibar haven't been in the best form recently, but they've had a difficult run of fixtures and have been missing players. I think they can end their winless run tonight, so I'm going for a 2-1 win.

As the players make their way out, it's worth noting that Eibar have some freshly-laid turf to play on this evening, having relaid the pitch since their last home fixture, and it has to be said it does look a fine playing surface.

KICKOFF! Elche get the action underway.

The hosts win an early free kick around 30 yards out, and Javier Lara goes straight for goal, but it's curled well high of the target on a wet evening in the Basque region.

Jonathas tries to get involved early on for the visitors, but he's forced out wide. David Lomban attempts a long ball forward for Elche to try to keep the home side under pressure, while Victor Rodriguez looks to the referee as he's pulled down on the edge of the box, but the foul isn't given.

Elche have made a bright start as Lillo is forced to turn the ball behind for a corner. Albacar curls it in, but it was a little overhit, and goes behind for a goalkick.

CHANCE! Garcia and Piovaccari try to make a run down the left flank for the hosts. Arruabarrena eventually gets the cross in, but Garcia's header is straight at Tyton in the Elche goal.

Eibar are starting to dominate the possession as Garcia looks to find Piovaccari again, but the ball forward is too high as is comfortably claimed by the keeper. Incidentally, this is the first time that these two sides have met at Eibar in La Liga, but they've played plenty in the second tier.

CHANCE! Jonathas gets his first real sight of goal for Elche as Suarez curls the ball in from out wide for the striker, who rounds Raul Navas to attends a header, but it goes behind.

CHANCE! Elche win a free kick just outside the box as Garcia fouls Pasalic. Albacar takes it, and curls it in accurately, but his strike lacks power and is claimed with ease by Xabi Irureta. Elche are certainly showing plenty of attacking intent when they get the ball.

It's gone a little flat in the last couple of minutes as both teams appear to be focused on not conceding the first goal rather then pressing to score it at the minute, resulting in a rather scrappy spell in midfield, but Elche are on the attack again now.

Gonzalez times a through-ball to Rodriguez well, but his first touch is poor as he comes under pressure from Lillo, and ends up conceding a free kick when he shoves the Eibar defender over.

CHANCE! Eneko Boveda picks the ball up on the edge of the box as Elche fail to clear a Garcia through-ball. Piovaccari is in space at the far post, but the defender goes for goal himself instead, and it flashes just wide.

It's certainly livened up now as Elche are quickly back down the other end to force a corner. Pasalic whips it in, but it's initially cleared, before the ball back into the box is nodded behind by Suarez.

Berjon makes a speedy run down the right flank to try to set something up for the hosts, but his cross for Piovaccari is poor, and goes straight out the other side. Elche try to catch Eibar out on the counter-attack, but Rodriguez's eventual ball for Jonathas has too much on it, and it's claimed by Irureta.

Eibar are on the attack again as Piovaccari provides the cross this time, but his ball in for Arruabarrena is somewhat wayward, and Roco manages to clear the threat for the visitors.

CHANCE! A well-timed pass in from Boveda drops kindly to Piovaccari just inside the box, but the striker is a yard offside, and still manages to slice his finish wide of the target.

CHANCE! Tyton pulls off a fingertip save to deny Raul Navas, who hits it first time from 35 yards out after a goalkick from the visiting keeper came up short, but he made amends with a superb stop at full stretch. That was a superb strike from the center-back though!

For the first time in a little while, Elche are putting the home side under pressure at the back again, but Anibarro backs a superb sliding tackle to halt Jonathas's progress and get Eibar back on the attack.

Elche make another run down the left, but Pasalic's low cross in lacks pace, leaving Garcia with an easy clearance for the home side.

A long ball forward from Navas puts the visitors under pressure as Piovaccari and Lara both try to get on the end of it, but Tyton comes off his line to make the catch right on the edge of the box.

CHANCE! Borja tries his luck with a long-range effort from out wide, and the save is initially spilled by Tyton, but the Polish keeper manages to gather it at the second time of asking before Lara can stretch to get the rebound.

BOOKING! Saul Berjon is the first player to be shown the yellow card as he loses the ball out wide to Aaron before pulling the midfielder's shirt back in frustration.

CHANCE! Piovaccari thinks he's scored as he tries to head the ball beyond Tyton with a looping finish after Lara crossed it in, but the keeper just manages to scoop it off the line. The assistant referee says that he made the save, but the striker is adament it crossed the line.

Despite a couple of good chances for the home side, it's goalless at half time as the players make their way off the pitch at the interval. Elche have looked threatening on the attack too, but haven't really made Xabi Irureta do too much yet.

Let's take a look at some of the stats from the opening 45 minutes. Eibar just edged the possession with 52%. However, the hosts have had twice as many shots with six, and three have been on target, while just one of Elche's three efforts forced a save from the keeper.

Eibar have relied too much on Federico Piovaccari, or attempting shots from long range. Javier Lara has looked lively, while Dani Garcia has supplied some good crosses, but the team's lone striker needs some more help in the box. Elche looks stronger as a team going forward, but they're struggling to penetrate the Eibar defence.

The players are starting to make their way back out for the second half.

RESTART! Elche get the second half underway.

SUB! Eibar have made a change at the start of the first half, with Saul Berjon making way for Ander Capa.

Elche are on the attack first, with Pasalic whipping in a dangerous-looking cross, which Navas is forced to turn behind for a corner. It's a good delivery back in, but Irureta manages to punch it clear.

Jonathas breaks the deadlock with a free header as Albacar smashes the ball forward from a free kick, and somehow the hosts forget to mark Elche's top scorer, leaving him to nod it past Irureta.

Eibar quickly tries to put the visitors under pressure down the other end, but Capa is unable to reach the high ball forward, and Tyton gets his hands to it before the substitute can get the shot away.

BOOKINGS! Eibar aren't happy about the Elche goal! Xabi Irureta talked himself into a yellow card in the aftermath of Jaonathas's goal, and now Mikel Arruabarrena is in the book for dissent too.

CHANCE! Tyton is having to work hard down the other end now as Eibar battle to get back on level terms. The Polish stopper comes up with another superb save, flicking Lara's shot clear with his feet.

PENALTY APPEAL! Eibar are relentlessly attacking, but Capa's cross is blocked by Pasalic, but the hosts want a penalty as it appeared to hit his hand on the way through. The referee isn't interested though.

Eibar try their luck with a run down the left side after continually coming up short down the right, but once again Tyton makes sure the home side don't get a shot away. The Elche keeper is having a superb game this evening.

Capa takes a shot from just outside the box, but he had teammates ahead of him in support, and his rather selfish shot is well off target.

Some of the intensity from the opening 15 minutes of this second half has started to drop as Elche are starting to take a more defensive approach to protect their lead, while Eibar are starting to look tired. It may be time for some fresh legs for the hosts.

Javier Lara wins a free kick near the half-way line and he fires it deep to set up Piovaccari, who hasn't seen much action since the restart, but his shot is scuffed, allowing Roco to clear it for the visitors.

Garcia wins the ball back for the hosts and immediately finds Lara out wide on the edge of the box, but the winger's low ball in for Piovaccari is booted clear before it finds the striker.

CHANCE! Lara is in again and this time he chips it high for Piovaccari, who goes up for the header, but he's marked but Albacar and clashes heads with the defender, leaving the left-back on the floor in some pain, while the ball goes behind.

Eibar continue to look to Piovaccari for an equaliser, but a high ball forward from Capa is punched away by Tyton to deny the striker another chance.

SUB! The hosts make their second change as Dani Nieto comes up for Borja.

Eibar's lone striker is sent off as he leads with his elbow while jumping up to attempt to beat Albacar to the ball, but he smashes the defender in the face with his elbow, leaving the referee no choice but to show him a straight red card.

It's going to be a real uphill battle for Eibar now as they're a goal down, a man down and with only one substitution to make. They're still attacking though, so clearly haven't give up just yet.

SUB! It's an attacking move from the home side as they replace defender Lillo with big striker Dejan Lekic. It's all or nothing for Eibar now.

BOOKING! It's starting to get a little scrappy again now as Pasalic clatters into Navas to pick up the first yellow card of the night for Elche.

CHANCE! Eibar are still dominating the possession, but they haven't figured out who to target the ball at now that Pivaccari isn't there. Lara lofts it in towards Capa, who has looked threatening since coming on at half time, but he fires the ball straight at Tyton.

SUB! Elche make their first change as Faycal Fajr makes way after a quiet night, with Garry Rodrigues coming on for the final few minutes.

CHANCE! Rodrigues almost clinches the three points for Elche as he weaves his way through the Eibar defence to get a shot away, but he doesn't get enough behind it, while Jonathas is offside as he tries to flick it on.

Despite being down to 10 men, Eibar are still making Tyton work, but the keeper continues to keep Elche ahead as he slides out to stop Nieto's shot.

SUB! It's another change for the visitors as Coro comes on for Victor Rodriguez.

Aaron collides with Capa out wide as the game heads into stoppage time, giving the hosts a free kick in a dangerous position. Lara curls it in well, but Elche make the clearance.

A probing ball from Nieto forces a corner for the hosts as they continue to push late on, but it comes to nothing.

CHANCE! Lara blasts it in from out wide as Eibar desperately push, but he blasts the shot just high.

Eibar's players surround the referee to argue as the full-time whistle is blown, condemning the hosts to a fourth straight defeat in La Liga.

Jonathas's goal leaves Elche four points clear of the relegation zone. Eibar stay 10th, but a host of teams can overtake them if they lose again at the weekend.

So, that's all from this match, but join us again tomorrow for more European football as the knockout stage of the Champions League gets underway. Until then, thanks for joining me this evening. Goodbye.