Levante's Last Chance Saloon: Desperate Derby with Elche at the Ciutat
Two teams with woeful home and away records clash in a crucial LaLiga derby as struggling Levante host mid-table Elche in a must-win encounter.
Penultimate in the table and six points from safety, Levante face another do-or-die clash as they desperately seek their first home win of the entire season against an Elche side whose own form has taken a nosedive.
Levante’s Desperate Situation
The Granotas are in proper Barney Rubble, sitting 19th in the table and staring relegation square in the face. Despite having a game in hand, they’re six points adrift of safety and remarkably still haven’t won at the Ciutat de València this campaign.
Injuries continue to plague Luis Castro’s men with Roger Brugué, Unai Elguezabal, Víctor García and Diego Pampín all sidelined. There’s some positive news though, as Oriol Rey (knee), Matías Moreno (fatigue) and Kervin Arriaga (muscle issues) could all return to the fold.
Castro hasn’t minced his words, labelling this match a “final” - and the Levante faithful clearly agree, with fans planning a special welcome for the team bus to rally the troops before kick-off.
Elche’s False Position
Sitting 8th might look cushy for Sarabia’s Elche, but appearances can be deceiving. They’re actually closer to the relegation zone (5 points ahead of 18th-placed Alavés) than they are to 7th place (8 points behind).
This derby presents a golden opportunity to hammer another nail in the coffin of a direct rival they’ve already beaten at Martínez Valero in the reverse fixture.
A bizarre statistical quirk makes this match particularly intriguing - neither Levante have won at home nor have Elche managed a victory on their travels all season. Something’s got to give!
Elche will be without several key players, including Víctor Chust who’s suspended, continuing their selection headaches from Monday’s clash with Sevilla.
Key Battle
All eyes will be on the showdown between Etta Eyong and Álvaro Rodríguez. The Cameroonian Eyong is looking to rediscover the form that made him one of LaLiga’s revelations before his African Cup of Nations duties, while Spanish-Uruguayan Rodríguez leads Elche’s attack in the absence of Rafa Mir.
For Levante, it’s now or never. The clock’s ticking on their LaLiga survival hopes, and anything less than three points would leave them in serious trouble. Squeaky bum time, as they say.