Valladolid-Elche stands as one of Spanish football’s most storied rivalries, having featured up to 22 clashes on most fields and as many as 23 at Martínez Valero. In the Premier League era, the match this Saturday at 16:15 has seen a mix of outcomes, including three home wins, three draws, and eight losses for the visiting side, with two franciverdes victories noted on the benches of Almirón and Pacheta. At José Zorrilla, Elche has found the net 11 times against Valladolid while conceding 13.
Elche has also met Valladolid on eight occasions at the top level. The balance sheet favors the franciverde side with four wins, three draws, and one defeat, tallying twelve points for and six against in those encounters.
Pacheta-Almirón will spark Valladolid-Elche drama
The last franciverde win on the road came in the 1984-1985 season, on October 7th. The visitors fielded a lineup featuring Antonio Ruiz Cervilla, Miguel Recio, Morgado, López Pérez, Adriano Cano, Pérez García, Belanche, Ruiz Cámara, Germán Leguía, Julio Suárez, Boria, and Juan Caballero. Anquela and Sánchez Lorenzo came on in the second half and eventually struck the decisive goal. The other score came from Boria as Elche pressed but fell behind 1-0.
A prior Valladolid-Elche victory occurred in the 1962-1963 campaign with a 0-2 win, courtesy of Luis Costa and Juan Romero. The squad included Pazos, Chancho, Campos, Forneris, Héctor Ramos, Pellejero, Cebrián, Cardona, and Iborra among others, with Otto Bumbel directing the team.
Valladolid-Elche has clashed 11 times in the Segunda División, yielding five home wins, four draws, and two franciverdes victories.
Additionally, two cup meetings took place on Castilian soil, including a Valladolid win and a draw, with another Valladolid triumph in the promotion playoff to the top flight.
All-time, this fixture has been played 22 times. Elche has managed four wins and eight draws at José Zorrilla, while Valladolid has claimed the remaining ten wins there.
The current situation for Elche, coming off a home defeat to Getafe and still seeking a first win in LaLiga this season, makes it tough to reverse the negative trend when facing Valladolid. A mid-winter setting could have made things even tougher, as Real Valladolid is more accustomed to Castilian cold snaps. The forecast for Saturday calls for around 15 degrees with clear skies.
Elche has stumbled into its second-worst start in top-flight football. Valladolid, on the other hand, remains a newcomer to the division but sits 11th with 14 points, recording two wins and one draw in their last five fixtures. They recently lost 2-0 to Osasuna but had earlier defeated Real Sociedad (1-0) and Celta Vigo (4-1) at home.
Elche’s second-worst start in Premier League history
The head referee for the match will be De Burgos Bengoechea, with Gil Manzano handling the VAR duties.