Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Elche are set to play host to Sevilla at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Wednesday evening, in what will be a game within round 36 of the La Liga season.
It’s not often the case, but calling this game in advance should not be too difficult, given that a vast difference in quality and the difference in terms of need for points both tilt the same way.
Elche
With just 20 points from 35 matches played so far, Elche’s relegation from La Liga to La Liga 2 has been long confirmed, and it tells the whole story about which way their season has gone. Having won just four times, they’re in last place, 14 points behind 19th-place Espanyol, and 15 behind Getafe in 18th.
On the other hand, it should be said that the team under the command of Sebastian Beccacece has recorded some notably good results in recent matches. Their last-six run consists of a 0-2 loss at home against Valencia, a 1-0 defeat away to Celta Vigo, a 4-0 win at home over Rayo Vallecano, a 2-1 defeat away to Almeria, a stunning 1-0 home triumph over Atletico Madrid, and a 1-1 draw away to Getafe.
It was Lucas Boye who saved his team with a first-half stoppage-time equalizer, after Munir El-Haddadi scored for the hosts just eight minutes into the match.
Team News
Defender Jose Angel Carmona and midfielder Omar Mascarell won’t be available for this game through injury.
With Edgar Badia in goal, fullbacks Tete Morente and Lautaro Blanco are expected to flank the centre-back trio of Pedro Bigas, Lisandro Magallan and Carlos Clerc. The trio of Fidel, John Donald and Gerard Gumbau will form the midfield, while Randy Nteka joins Boye in attack.
Sevilla
As for Sevilla, their main focus at the moment will be on the Europa League final, where they face Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma on May 31st in Budapest. However, they’ve worked very hard to climb up the La Liga table after a poor start to the season, and they won’t let that effort go to waste. They stand a reasonable chance of finishing in the top seven, which would represent a good backup scenario for playing in Europe again, just in case they don’t win in the Hungarian capital.
At the moment, Jose Mendilibar’s men are ninth with 48 points, one less than eighth-place Girona who have already played their match in this round, and two less than Athletic Bilbao in seventh. But in order to have any hope of overtaking these two rivals, Sevilla mustn’t even consider not winning against a relegated side.
Apart from a 0-2 defeat at home against Girona which started Sevilla’s current last-six run, they have been playing rather well. The list also includes a 3-2 home win over Espanyol, a 1-1 draw away to Juventus in the first leg of the Europa League semifinal, a 0-3 win away to Valladolid, a 2-1 win (after extra-time) at home in the second leg against Juventus, and a goalless draw at home against Real Betis in the Derby of Seville.
Team News
Defenders Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao are set to miss out through injury, as is midfielder Joan Jordan who won’t play at all before the end of the season.
Marko Dmitrovic will be in goal, and the centre-back duo of Omar Rekik and Nemanja Gudelj should be flanked by Gonzalo Montiel and Alex Telles. Ivan Rakitic and Pape Gueye are likely to continue in the middle of the park, with Erik Lamela, Oliver Torres and Papu Gomez supporting Rafa Mir upfront. That will, of course, be the case only if Mendilibar decides to give Youssef En-Nesyri a rest.
Conclusion
With all due respect for Elche, it’s very hard to imagine the bottom team in the league emerging from this game with anything to show for their efforts.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: ZetBet
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