Elche vs Sevilla

Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero is the venue as dead-last Elche entertain European hopefuls Sevilla in contrasting La Liga circumstances.

After a stunning 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their last home league outing, relegation-bound Elche threw a spanner in the works to Getafe’s bid to avoid the same fate with a 1-1 draw in the previous round. Though it’s too late for redemption, Elche could go three straight La Liga matches without losing for the first time this season. To do that, ‘Los Franjiverdes’ must defy their underwhelming seven-match home record against Sevilla in La Liga (W1, D3, L3). But after losing the last two top-flight H2Hs by an aggregate score of 5-0, that could prove easier said than done. Despite lamenting the worst defensive record in Spain’s elite club competition (65), Sebastian Beccacece’s men have gone from a five-match winless home run (D1, L4) to winning back-to-back outings at Manuel Martínez Valero ‘to nil.’

On the other hand, visiting Sevilla could only manage a scoreless home draw against bitter cross-town rivals Real Betis at the weekend, derailing their hopes of making a late European push. Despite experiencing one of the worst domestic campaigns in the 21st century, ‘Los Rojiblancos’ come into proceedings only two points adrift of seventh-placed Athletic Bilbao. But Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men have ensured an alternate route into next season’s Champions League after setting up a mouth-watering Europa League final date against Roma. It doesn’t mean the visitors won’t be looking to extend an eye-catching four-game winning league run on hostile turf against a side they’ve not lost to in the last four La Liga H2Hs (W3, D1).