Elche's away day blues continue as they stand alone without a road win
Sarabia's men remain the only side in La Liga without an away victory this season, despite showing decent form at Martínez Valero.
Elche CF have claimed the unwanted distinction of being La Liga’s only team yet to win on their travels this season.
Road trip nightmares
It’s gone from bad to worse for the Franjiverdes on their travels. Following Osasuna’s 3-1 victory at Rayo Vallecas, Elche now stand alone as the only top-flight side without an away win to their name.
Their record on the road is proper dog’s dinner:
- Just 4 points collected from a possible 30 away from home
- Tied with Alavés as the worst travelling team in La Liga (though Alavés have managed at least one away victory)
- A concerning pattern of squandering advantages in recent away fixtures
The frustration has been particularly acute in their last two road trips. Against Valencia, a late handball penalty from Diangana robbed them of what would’ve been their first away win. Then against Levante, they scored first, conceded twice, equalised in the 93rd minute through Adam, only to concede again at the death. Adding insult to injury, Levante had been the only team without a home win… until Elche came to town!
Declining away form
What’s particularly concerning is how Elche’s away performances have deteriorated:
- Started with three consecutive draws (Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, Osasuna)
- Then suffered five straight defeats (Alavés, Espanyol, Barcelona, Getafe, Mallorca)
- Brief respite with a draw at Mestalla
- Latest setback at Levante (3-2 defeat)
Home sweet home
Thankfully for Eder Sarabia’s men, the Martínez Valero stadium has become their salvation. An impressive 83% of their 24 points this season have been collected on home turf, establishing them as one of the strongest home sides in La Liga.
In fact, only the Champions League quartet of Atlético, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal have collected more points at home than Elche this season – not half bad for a side struggling so much away from home.
Tough times ahead
Currently on a four-match winless streak and with their cushion above the relegation zone shrinking to just three points, Elche face a massive challenge this Saturday night when they host league leaders Barcelona.
To make matters worse, they’ll be without midfielder Aleix Febas, suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards – a proper spanner in the works for Sarabia as he looks to turn things around.