Elche's nightmare run continues as relegation zone looms for first time this season
Eight games without a win, four points from a possible 36 away from home — Elche's 2026 has been an absolute horror show and it's getting worse.
Eight games without a win and the drop zone creeping closer — Elche’s 2026 has gone from promising to genuinely worrying at an alarming rate.
From comfortable to crisis
Not so long ago, Elche were sitting pretty in mid-table, the sort of position that has fans planning summer holidays rather than checking the relegation calculator. Fast forward to now and the Martínez Valero is a very different place — nervous, twitchy, and with very good reason.
Their last league win came on the final matchday of 2025, a thumping 4-0 over Rayo Vallecano. Since then? Three draws and five defeats. That eight-game winless streak is the worst of any side in the division this season. Proper grim reading.
San Mamés just made it worse
The defeat at Athletic Club — 2-1 — was another body blow. Elche were competitive enough but came away with nothing, and the mood afterwards wasn’t exactly rosy. The sight of Eder Sarabia having a go at Ernesto Valverde at full-time — seemingly over the penalty decision that sealed the result — summed up the frustration bubbling under the surface.
Away days? Don’t even ask
If the overall form is bad, the away record is something else entirely:
- Zero wins on the road all season
- Just four points from 36 available away from the Martínez Valero
- The worst away record in the entire division — and the only side yet to win on their travels
That’s a proper nightmare, that is.
Even Dituro’s magic has worn off
One of the few bright spots in recent weeks had been goalkeeper Dituro, who’d become something of a good luck charm between the sticks. That aura took a hit at San Mamés — it was the first time Elche lost a league game with the Argentine in goal, ending a run that had stretched to eight starts.
The drop zone is right there
For the first time this season, Elche are genuinely at risk of slipping into the relegation places. Whether they actually fall in depends on what Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca do this weekend — both have winnable fixtures on paper, but nothing’s guaranteed. Worth noting that Rayo also have a postponed match against Real Oviedo still to play, which could yet complicate the picture further.
Elche’s next chance to arrest the slide comes on Sunday 1 March, when Espanyol visit the Martínez Valero for a 14:00 kick-off. Given both sides’ current form, it’s shaping up to be one of those sweaty, nervous affairs where neither team really wants to lose more than they want to win.
Something’s got to give — and soon.