A discount point should always bring joy. Yet in Elche CF’s case, the moment felt insufficient. Tete Morente synchronized a late strike, in the 95th minute, for the first goal, and four minutes later a second point helped the visitors from Valladolid slide the balance in their favor.
El Franjiverde squad woke up late, spent most of the match under pressure, and had to swim against the current. The late surge provided a small reward amid a busy stretch. Three players left the field due to red cards for Blanquivioletas, Roque Mesa and Hongla, plus an injury to Machis, all adding to the drama of extra time.
Despite Elche’s dominance, Pucela controlled much of the game and ultimately paid the price for over-caution, failing to string together meaningful attacks.
Machín kept the winning lineup from Mallorca and only adjusted the center of defense. Roco and Magallán reclaimed their places in Son Moix after serving suspensions, with Gonzalo Verdu and Pedro Bigas performing solidly. Randy Nteka continued at the front, while Lucas Boyé and Ezekiel Ponce started the second game in a row on the bench.
Roco and Magallán return to Elche’s eleven and Nteka remains
JA Galvanized
Elche fell asleep. The siesta allowed the greens to drift, and they were already behind when they tried to wake up. In less than four minutes, a cross from Lucas Olaza found Canadian Larin, and the ball touched Magallán, deflected, and slipped into the net (0-1). Fans froze under the hot sun. About fifty Blanquivioletas supporters at the stadium’s top cheered loudly.
The Elche side tried to wake up. Lucas Boyé fired a shot after weaving through the area, and Sergio Asenjo turned it into a corner. Valladolid pressed with intensity, squeezing the ball away from Machín’s team and pushing them back. Yet Elche looked uncertain and lethargic. Only Boyé and Mascarel showed a spark of smart play, while Canary tried a left-footed free kick that caught Asenjo off guard before going out for a corner.
The green fringe gradually found some rhythm. Helibelton Palacios and Carmona joined the attack on the right flank. Boyé, the most dangerous forward, had two chances—one a rising strike, the other a headed effort that missed narrowly.
Pacheta’s team did not threaten Edgar Badia again until the 41st minute when Larin miscontrolled a ball in a rare moment of Pell. Arrived with a slight advantage to the visitors.
In the second half, Machín made a tactical adjustment. At halftime, Morente and Ponce came on for Carmona and Nteka, shifting the line-up.
Elche dominated the second period and created several chances to score. But the Franjiverdes failed to convert in the decisive moments. Boyé continued to be the most active offensive option, firing a shot and then testing Gumbau’s passing with another attempt.
With the score still level, Valladolid focused on controlling the game and protecting their lead, stretching out the clock and slowing the tempo. Yet the match’s momentum began to swing after Tete Morente delivered a cross that found Ponce, whose header was blocked but set the stage for a key moment. The ball bounced across the area in a moment that felt pivotal, reshaping the rhythm of the game.
Machín finally altered the system. Lautaro Blanco entered for Clerc, Guti for Gumbau, and Nico for Roco, keeping a 4-4-2 shape with two Argentines on the left flank. Pacheta’s side kept stalling the game, and the referee extended the standard 90 minutes by nine additional minutes.
In extra time, Elche looked better but faced a counter-punishment from Machís, who found space near the edge of the box, yet was unable to convert his chance. The stands roared on as Guti added another attempt, and then Morente delivered the equalizer in the 95th minute. From the left, Nico’s cross reached Morente, who struck a powerful shot to bring the teams level. The crowd erupted with a collective shout: yes we can. There were still four extra periods ahead. Boyé and Guti produced moments of hope but failed to seal it. Roque Mesa and Hongla joined late in the match, but time ran out for Elche as the referee continued to add stoppage time.
In the end, the draw felt like a small reward for both sides after a tense and hard-fought encounter. Valladolid had reason to celebrate preserving a point, while Elche earned something valuable from a late rally that kept hopes flickering.
DATA SHEET:
Elche: Edgar Badia, Carmona (Tete Morente, m. 46), Helibelton Palacios, Roco (Nico Fernández, m. 85), Magallán, Clerc (Lautaro Blanco, m. 63), Mascarell, Gumbau (Raúl Guti, m. 72), Fidel, Nteka (Ezequiel Ponce, m. 46) and Lucas Boyé
Valladolid: Sergio Asenjo, Fresneda, Joaquín (Javi Sánchez, m. 63), El Yamiq, Olaza (Escudero, m. 73), Hangla, Aguado (Roque Mesa, m. 56), Iván Sánchez (Machis, m. 63), Gonzalo Silver, Óscar Plano (Kike Pérez, m. 73) and Larin.
TARGETS: 0-1 m. 4, Larin. 1-1 m. 96 Tete Morente
JUDGE: Díaz de Mera from the Castile-La Mancha school. Roque dismissed Mesa (95-99) and Hongla (99-99) for a double warning and a member of the Valladolid bench was shown a red card. Yellow cards to Gumbau (b. 19), Tete Morente (b. 70), Óscar Plano (b. 73), Pere Milla (y e, m. 95), Larin (b. 99) and Mascarell (b. 99).
STADIUM: Martínez Valero in front of 18,972 spectators