Preview: Elche vs Real Sociedad - prediction, team news, lineups

Three games in and still searching for a first win of the season, Elche face a Real Sociedad side looking to build on their own inconsistent start when the two clubs meet at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Monday evening in LaLiga.

Martin Anselmi’s side have shipped nine goals in their opening three fixtures and will be desperate to shore things up at the back, while the visitors arrive having won just once themselves.

Match preview

Elche sit 19th in the LaLiga table after three matches, having collected just one point from a draw and two defeats, with three goals scored and nine conceded already raising defensive alarm bells at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.

The campaign began with a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna, with Elche coming from a goal down to claim a point that looked a reasonable start, only for what followed to expose their significant vulnerabilities.

A 5-0 home defeat to Barcelona in their first game at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero was a chastening evening, and the hammering from the defending champions was followed by another defeat - a 3-2 loss to newly promoted Racing Santander, in which Elche conceded three goals in the opening 36 minutes.

Buba Sangare and Fer Nino both struck in the 78th and 79th minutes to give the scoreline a more competitive look, but the comeback fell short, and Elche were left with nothing to show.

Having survived on 43 points last season - finishing 15th with just a single point separating them from the drop zone - Anselmi’s side will be acutely aware of how quickly a difficult start can become a genuine crisis if results do not turn soon.

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Real Sociedad, meanwhile, sit 11th after four matches, with four points from one win, one draw and two defeats, and a goal record of three scored and six conceded.

Despite finishing 10th last season, Sociedad qualified for the Europa League by virtue of their Copa del Rey triumph, and that continental pedigree underlines the gulf in class between the two sides heading into Monday’s fixture.

Pellegrino Matarazzo's side suffered defeats in each of their first two matches - a 1-0 loss to Real Betis on the opening day followed by a 4-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid - before collecting their first three points of the season with a 2-1 home win over Espanyol, goals from Ander Barrenetxea and Orri Oskarsson doing the damage.

A goalless home draw against Celta Vigo then extended their unbeaten run at the Reale Arena, and it is on the road that Matarazzo’s side continue to look more vulnerable.

The head-to-head record between these two clubs firmly favours the visitors - Elche have won just once in the last ten meetings, that victory coming back in 2015, while Real Sociedad have claimed eight wins and a draw in that time.

The last five encounters have seen Real Sociedad win four and draw once, with their most recent meeting ending in a 3-1 victory for the visitors at the Anoeta Stadium.

Elche La Liga form:

Real Sociedad La Liga form:

Team News

© Imago / AFLOSPORT

Thomas Lemar, on loan from Atletico Madrid, is a doubt for Monday’s fixture with a physical complaint and could miss out.

Adam Boayar returned to full training after an extended recovery from the quadriceps injury that ruled him out for the final weeks of last season and kept him out of pre-season entirely, though he remains a doubt for selection at this stage.

Yago Santiago is still sidelined and continuing his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery in May, with no confirmed return date as yet.

For Real Sociedad, Alvaro Odriozola remains absent with the anterior cruciate ligament injury to his left knee and is unavailable for this fixture.

Jon Pacheco will also miss out through injury and will play no part on Monday.

Pablo Marin is set to be absent for a fourth consecutive match as he continues his recovery, with Carlos Soler and Luka Sucic expected to continue benefiting from his absence and retain their places as primary midfield options.

Elche possible starting lineup:

Dituro; Sangare, Chust, Redondo, Bigas, Valera; Buonanotte, Villar, Aguado, Houary; Nino

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:

Remiro; Gomez, Martin, Zubeldia, Aramburu; Barrenetxea, Herrera, Turrientes, Kubo; Oyarzabal, Oskarsson

We say: Elche 0-2 Real Sociedad

Elche have looked alarmingly open at the back in the early weeks of the campaign, conceding nine goals in three matches - the highest in the division so far, and Real Sociedad will look to exploit those weaknesses on Monday evening.

Four wins from the last five head-to-head meetings underline Sociedad’s superiority over this opponent, and with Anselmi yet to find a defensive formula that works, the visitors are backed to claim a comfortable three points on the road.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.