Coach Asier Garitano of Tenerife spoke at a pre-match press conference ahead of the upcoming game against Elche CF, scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Martínez Valero stadium. The Canary Islands side will head to the peninsula and stay for a week, with Elche awaiting them this weekend and a Copa del Rey first round tie against Compostela on the horizon for Wednesday. Valladolid will host them on Saturday, November 4.
The Tenerife coach warned that the match would feature Elche’s best version this season, noting that the team had registered two wins and a draw in their last three fixtures. He stressed that Elche has been at their strongest on home soil and that the home advantage should not be underestimated.
Garitano added that he would have preferred to face Elche early in the season when doubts clouded the squad. The opponent at the time, Sebastian Beccacece, did not enjoy a strong run, yet Garitano acknowledged that Elche is in good form now and has earned seven of the last nine points. Emotionally they are doing well, but Tenerife is too. The coach joked that meeting Elche a month earlier would have been ideal, underscoring the current momentum on the Elche side.
The Tenerife coach hopes his squad, which has shown some inconsistency away from the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, can deliver their best performance at Martínez Valero. Garitano pointed to recent results away from home, noting positive showings in Huesca, Andorra, and Gijón, while acknowledging tougher moments at Eibar and a draw with Mirandés. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s away form and uttered optimism about a strong showing in Elche.
There is a recent preseason memory between Elche and Tenerife, a contentious match played on July 29 at La Finca Golf Resort where Elche earned a 1-0 victory thanks to Nico Fernández Mercau, who had debuted as a first-team striker in the league match in Huesca last weekend. Garitano recalled that Elche had looked clearly superior in that encounter.
Elche beat Tenerife 1-0 in the third friendly match
There is a clear shift in circumstances for both clubs now. Elche aims to climb the table and push toward promotion, while Tenerife remains competitive at the top of the standings since the season began in LaLiga Hypermotion. The upcoming clash will test whether Tenerife can translate steady away form into results on foreign soil and whether Elche can leverage their home strength to extend their ascent in the league.
The tone from Garitano was measured and focused. He highlighted the importance of stabilizing away performances and building a consistent identity on the road. He stressed that the squad would prepare for a demanding week that will include league action and cup commitments, with the objective of delivering a robust performance against a capable Elche side. The match promises to be a pivotal moment for both teams as they navigate the early stretch of the season and set the tone for the months ahead. This duel also holds potential implications for the wider battle to stay among the leading clubs in the division, a race that remains tightly contested by several teams around the top of the table. Attribution: club press notes.