Preview: Elche vs Valencia - prediction, team news, lineups

Both Elche and Valencia will be aiming to bounce back from defeats when they continue their respective La Liga campaigns with a clash on Saturday afternoon.

Valencia are 14th in the La Liga table, six points ahead of 18th-placed Elche, demonstrating the importance of this weekend's contest at Estadio Martinez Valero.

Match preview

Elche have a record of six wins, 11 draws and 13 defeats from their 30 league matches this season, with 29 points leaving them down in 18th spot in the table, two points behind 17th-placed Sevilla in the battle to avoid relegation from Spain's top flight.

Eder Sarabia's side were 2-1 winners over Mallorca in their last match in front of their own supporters on March 21, but they lost 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano last time out.

Elche have actually only lost twice at home in the league this season, which is incredible considering their position in the table, picking up points in 13 of their 15 matches at Estadio Martinez Valero.

The Green-striped ones finished second in last season's Segunda Division table to secure a return to the top flight, and they are aiming to make it successive campaigns at this level after spending two years out of La Liga.

Elche are winless in their last six league matches against Valencia, suffering four defeats in the process, but it was 1-1 in the reverse game at Mestalla earlier this season.

Valencia were 2-0 winners over Elche on their last trip to Estadio Martinez Valero in April 2023, and they have been victorious in seven of their last 10 league fixtures with Saturday's opponents.

Los Che will enter this game off the back of a 3-2 home defeat to Celta Vigo, but they have managed to win four of their last seven fixtures in Spain's top flight.

Carlos Corberan's side are currently 14th in the table, boasting a record of nine wins, eight draws and 13 defeats from their 30 matches to collect 35 points.

Valencia are only six points outside of the relegation zone, meaning that their work is far from complete when it comes to avoiding dropping into the Segunda Division, but a win on Saturday would be a major step in the right direction.

Los Che have been disappointing on their travels this season, triumphing in just three of their 15 games, picking up only 12 points in the process.

Elche La Liga form:

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Valencia La Liga form:

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Team News

Elche have doubts over Grady Diangana, Adam El Mokhtari and Hector Fort for this weekend's contest, while Pedro Bigas is suspended due to the red card that he was handed in the team's defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

Victor Chust should return from the injury that forced him to miss the loss last time out, though, with the 26-year-old in line to take Bigas' spot in the side.

In the final third of the field, there could be a start for Andre Silva, with the Portuguese potentially being introduced for Alvaro Rodriguez.

As for Valencia, Mouctar Diakhaby, Dimitri Foulquier, Julen Agirrezabala, Unai Nunez and Copete have all been ruled out of the fixture due to injury problems.

There are expected to be changes to the side that took to the field for the clash against Celta Vigo last time out, with Filip Ugrinic and Lucas Beltran potentially both being introduced.

However, there should once again be a spot through the middle for Hugo Duro, who has found the back of the net on nine occasions in Spain's top flight this season.

Elche possible starting lineup:

Dituro; Petrot, Affengruber, Chust; Morente, Villar, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Mir, Silva

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Dimitrievski; Correia, Comert, Tarrega, Gaya; Rodriguez, Ugrinic; Rioja, Beltran, Ramazani; Duro

We say: Elche 1-1 Valencia

These two teams played out a 1-1 draw earlier this season, and we are predicting the same scoreline here. Elche are very difficult to beat on their own patch, but Valencia should be good enough for a point on Saturday afternoon.

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