The Matchday 26 La Liga fixture between Elche vs Espanyol will take place on 1 March at the Manuel Martinez Valero. Elche vs Espanyol: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Elche
A week ago, Elche let a draw slip away right at the end of their away game against Athletic Club (1:2). As a result, the home side’s winless run in La Liga has reached eight matches (3 draws, 5 defeats), and over the last five rounds they have managed to collect just one point. With those results, the club have found themselves on the brink of the relegation zone: they sit 17th in the table and are only one point ahead of Mallorca. It is worth noting that the team have scored in 10 of their previous 11 matches in the Spanish top flight, but across the same spell Elche have kept only three clean sheets.
- The club have avoided defeat in 15 of their last 17 home La Liga matches (7 wins, 8 draws).
- Five of the team’s previous six games in this competition have gone over the total.
- Elche have scored more than one goal in just two of their last eight La Liga matches.
Potential Elche Lineup (3-5-2)*
Matias Dituro – Pedro Bigas, Leo Petro, Victor Chust – German Valera, Tete Morente, Lucas Cepeda, Marc Aguado, Aleix Febas – Alvaro Rodriguez, Andre Silva.
Midfielder Yago Santiago is suspended. Defender Hector Fort is unavailable through injury.
Espanyol
Like Elche, Espanyol are still without a win in the league in 2026. Eight matches across the last two months have brought the away side just two points — the worst return in the competition. Last weekend, the visitors failed to pull off a shock away at Atletico Madrid (2:4). After that result, the club dropped out of the top six for the first time since October. Espanyol now sit seventh in the league, two points behind Celta Vigo, with a whole pack of rivals also closing in from below.
- Espanyol have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine straight La Liga matches.
- The team’s scoring run in this competition stands at five games.
- The club’s last five matches in the Spanish top flight have gone over the total.
Potential Espanyol Lineup (5-4-1)*
Marko Dmitrovic – Omar El Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Klemens Riedel, Carlos Romero – Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez, Jofre Carreras, Tyrhys Dolan – Kike Garcia.
Captain Javi Puado is unavailable through injury.
Referee
Iosu Galech (Spain)
Matches – 13 (La Liga, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second bookings) – 62;
Yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 4;
Fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 31%.
Elche vs Espanyol: Match Prediction
This matchup features two clubs who have produced the poorest results in La Liga in 2026. Nevertheless, it is worth saying that despite all their problems, the opponents have not lost their edge in attack. Even during their current winless runs — eight league matches apiece — the teams are averaging 1.12 goals per 90 minutes.
Elche have scored in 10 of their 11 La Liga games since the start of winter, but frequent defensive errors have meant that both teams have scored in seven of their last eight matches across this spell. For Espanyol, high-scoring shootouts are becoming the norm — not for nothing have both teams found the net in each of the Catalans’ last five La Liga matches.
We should also add that the clubs have traded goals in nine of their last 11 head-to-head meetings in the Spanish top flight.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes
* For each team, the starting XI listed is the lineup from their previous match in this competition.
