The Second Division proves treacherous and highly competitive. Even teams that start as clear favorites can find themselves painted with a loss if they fail to execute. Elche CF understood this reality from the very first exchange.
In the season opener, the Elche squad faced a sting from a newly promoted club, ending in a 0-1 defeat. A sharp first half left the greens chasing a goal that never arrived, and their opponent seized the initiative when the ball left the post and found the back of the net after a long kick. Iker Losada surprised the Elche goalkeeper and tucked the ball into the goal, planting Ferrol ahead.
Racing de Ferrol celebrated the goal with gusto as the crowd of around 14,000 at the Martínez Valero watched in disbelief. Elche’s players, meanwhile, started the second act unsettled. Anxiety, nerves, and rushed decisions swept through the team, giving Ferrol opportunities to extend the lead at will while Elche struggled to respond with clarity.
Beccacece selected the same starting eleven that had featured in the last pre-season friendlies with Parma. The only change was a return to goal for Edgar Badia after resolving muscle discomfort, and Josan moving to the right as Alex Martin remained on the bench.
From the outset, Raul Guti dropped deep to anchor the defense, forming a three-man line at the back. Joshan and Salinas operated on the flanks, advancing as the midfield looked to sustain possession. Fidel and Alex February pressed forward with support from the team, while Tete Morente and Nico Fernandez Mercau linked play behind Lucas Boye, who emerged as the lead attacking figure and demonstrated that he stood apart in this division.
Elche pressed high in the first half, forcing Ferrol to defend under pressure. The visitors managed to snatch the ball in midfield and restrict Elche to short, quick moves that rarely threatened the goal through sustained buildup.
In the opening 45 minutes, the home side kept the initiative, while Ferrol kept the line tight and relied on rapid transitions to test the Elche defense. Nico Fernández, Boyé, and Fidel found pockets of space, but finishing opportunities were scarce and often forced by the clock and the pace of the game alike.
Ander Cantero had to be alert at nearly every attempt as Boyé already looked capable of unlocking the defense. A late offside decision nullified a potential breakthrough by Ander Cantero’s side, keeping the scoreline level until the break.
After the restart, Ferrol settled into a calmer rhythm, trying to stretch the field with longer deliveries while Elche’s lineup looked for a spark. Edgar Badia remained the quiet shield at the back for the home side, and the heat sapped the energy of the players, particularly the visitors who ran themselves into fatigue in the afternoon heat.
Beccacece’s squad earned a deserved rest with the score still intact, but the balance began to tilt as Ferrol seemed increasingly in control of the tempo. The game carried a tense atmosphere as both sides exchanged possession, but the decisive moment belonged to Ferrol when Losada converted from a distance later in the second period—an accurate strike from 30 meters that found the bottom corner despite the goalkeeper’s reach.
The goal forced Elche to abandon their plan and chase the result in a way that left them exposed. The team’s attacking efforts did not equal Ferrol’s, and what followed was a display of nerves that undermined their defense and left the fans frustrated. The final whistle confirmed a 0-1 outcome, a stark reminder that the path to promotion in the Second Division would be tough and winding for Elche.
As the remainder of the match progressed, Elche grew more disorganized, hurried, and unable to create meaningful chances. The Ferrol defense held firm, and their goalkeeper remained largely untroubled, while Elche’s front line grew increasingly predictable. A few late attempts by Boyé and a couple of Nico Castro incursions did not translate into danger for the visitors, and the day ended with a sense of disappointment in the stands.
Beccacece experimented with the lineup in search of a reaction, fielding Christian Salvador and bringing Nico Castro and Oscar Appartement onto the roster late in the game. The late substitutions did little to alter the rhythm of the match, and the team’s ambitions were not realized in time to salvage a result.
In the end, the match left a clear message: Elche’s campaign would demand resilience and tactical adjustment from the outset. The clash in the Galician and Valencian landscapes served as a sobering early-season test of character for both sides, with Ferrol leaving the pitch celebrating a hard-fought victory and Elche facing the need to regroup quickly.
DATA SHEET:
Elche: Edgar Badia; Josan, Pedro Bigas, Clerc, Salinas; Tete Morente, Raul Guti, Aleix Febas, Nico Fernandez, Fidel, Lucas Boyé.
FERROL RACE: Ander Cantero; Julian Delmas, Jon García, David Castro, Brais Martínez; Carlos Vicente, Jesús Bernal, Josep Sené, Chuca, Iker Losada, Sabin Merino.
JUDGE: Camacho. Elche received cautions for Bernal and Carlos Vicente.
AIM: 0-1, Iker Losada, minute 50.
STADIUM: Martínez Valero, witnessed by 14,506 spectators.