Elche remains the sole theoretical favorite for promotion to the First Division who does not excel in front of goal. In fact, if success were measured by scoring, the Franjiverdes would sit close to relegation danger. Only five of the 22 teams have fewer goals than Elche, with Huesca, Cartagena, Amorebieta, Andorra, and Alcorcón ahead of them. Elche trails behind record teams like Eibar, Racing, and Espanyol. A single or two key goal transfers, or a dramatic change in the forward line, could shift the balance.
The clear course of action is to reinforce in the January window. The team’s owner recognizes this need and has stated as much. The statistics underscore Elche’s precarious position as the season progresses.
Bragarnik: “Elche will make 3 to 4 transfers in the winter market”
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22 installed
Elche’s stats reflect a negative goal balance at minus one, with 22 goals recorded and 21 conceded. Top scorers include Óscar Plano with seven goals, followed by Tete Morente with three, Nico Castro with two, Nico Fernández Mercau with two, Sergio León with two, plus Borja Garcés, Fidel, Mario Gaspar, and others contributing one each. Lucas Boyé is noted among the scorers. A long-term injury to the leading marksman represents seriously bad news. The absences of two signings who have struggled with muscle issues, and a breezy run of bad luck, did not help the cause.
If promotion remains the aim, changes will be necessary. Other Primera candidates have clearer tracks records. For instance, Oviedo sits at a net gain of plus six, Leganés plus eighteen, Sporting de Gijón plus eleven, Eibar plus seventeen, Espanyol plus ten, and Racing plus seventeen—numbers that typically align with stronger standings. There is no comparable negative statistic for Elche among top contenders. Zaragoza is level, Tenerife posts plus one, Valladolid plus two, and Racing de Ferrol plus six. Even Eldense has more goals than Elche, though their balance sits at minus five as well.
Transfers
Elche needs a forward, a midfielder, and a winger. At least three players are expected to try to reverse the slide. As seen in the first half of LaLiga Hypermotion, a compact team with a clear plan is not enough without additional quality. Strength in depth is essential, a point the Argentinian coach has repeatedly emphasized, yet Elche has not managed to secure it in 21 matches.
Only 2 goals from the bench
The Elche forwards have tallied just ten goals so far, seven of them from the playmaker Óscar Plano. Many players in the Franjiverdes squad contribute from positions beyond the frontline. Only two goals came from substitutes, accounting for less than 10 percent of the total. This pattern showed in Borja Garcés’s 2-1 win against Andorra (10 October) and Sergio León’s home draw with Real Valladolid (10 September).
Despite Elche’s limited success in overall LaLiga statistics, their shot count is noteworthy. The team has registered 81 attempts on goal, placing them behind only eight teams in the league for total attempts. They rank ninth in shots but seventeenth in conversion rate.
Elche’s first training after the holiday: The situation is serious!
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back to work
The squad returned to training today under the leadership of Díez Iborra. All first-team players and the usual young prospects were on the field. Only the injured Óscar Plano was missing. Josan and Nico Castro trained on the sidelines, continuing to manage muscle issues.