Elche’s revival win stuns Mallorca, keeps La Liga dream alive

Elche CF managed to turn three straight losses into a breakthrough win, defeating a direct rival in a struggle for survival. The victory over Mallorca moved them a step closer to breathing easy in the top flight and kept the dream of another season of top-division football alive for their fans. It was a day that carried real weight. A decisive match where the balance between triumph and defeat could not be clearer. A fresh setback would have reignited doubt and hardship in the closing chapter of the campaign. The home crowd rose to the occasion. Martinez Valero hummed with energy as over 20,000 supporters created a festive atmosphere, a show of backing that felt like a full-throated chorus. Francisco had warned that clever, careful planning would be essential on days like this. The injuries to Lucas Boyé and Guido Carrillo forced a rethink of how his side would attack and defend. The coach from Almeria read the match perfectly, fielding a setup intended to disrupt Mallorca’s rhythm while offering width through Josan and Mojica. The plan leaned on three central defenders to blunt Mallorca’s aerial threat from Muriqi and to free the flanks for quick, overlapping play. Ezequiel Ponce operated as a reference point up front, supported by a spine designed for mobility and creativity, with Omar Mascarell, Raúl Guti, Fidel, and Kike Pérez providing the needed spark. Elche began with the initiative, pressing Mallorca as the visitors sat deeper, content to absorb pressure and strike on the counter. The ball spent long spells in the Balearic half, and the Elche players worked tirelessly to carve openings from compact defending. Breaking through a purpose-built defensive wall proved tough, and the moment of breakthrough had to be patiently earned. Three early chances hinted at what was to come: a Fidel cross that the arriving Guti could not convert at the far post, a Fidel through-ball that Sergio Rico saved brilliantly as an offside flag had already hesitated, and a Ponce back-pass that failed to find a finishing touch from the onrushing team-mates. Mallorca showed life only after 29 minutes when Jaume Costa forced a blocked shot on a counter, signaling that they could hurt Elche on the break. Josan then delivered a fine pass into Fidel’s path, but the forward could not finish. The opening period ended with Elche finally breaking the deadlock. Fidel controlled a ball in the box and, after a smart exchange with Mojica, found space to deliver a cross that caught the Mallorca defense by surprise. The ball sailed across and landed at the feet of Mojica, whose shot deflected into the net past Sergio Rico for a 1-0 lead as the clock showed 41 minutes. With the home crowd roaring, Elche carried momentum into the second half. Mallorca, after a tactical reshuffle at halftime, introduced Takeshi Kubo and Lee Kang-In to inject pace and dynamism in search of balance. The early stages of the second half saw both sides trading blows, with the onus still on Elche to extend the lead and seal the outcome. The goal finally arrived in the 57th minute. Fidel initiated the sequence, finishing with a header from Pedro Bigas’s cross as the visitors appeared broken and deflated. The second strike effectively killed Mallorca’s resistance and boosted Elche’s confidence as the game opened up. As the clock wore on, Mallorca pushed numbers forward in a bid to restore some pride, but a combination of disciplined defending and timely substitutions allowed Elche to stay in control. In the 66th minute, Muriqi found space for a shot, only for Josan Kosovar to rescue the situation with a crucial block. To see out the match, Francisco rotated his squad, bringing Pere Milla in from the left and switching midfields with Gumbau replacing Guti. An injury to Josan did little to dampen the mood, as Morente and Piatti assumed new positions to reinforce the attack along the flanks. The visitors pressed hard, but the night’s defining moment arrived in the 80th minute when a long Gumbau ball found Tete Morente. Sergio Rico attempted to parry, and the ball deflected into the Mallorca goal, sealing Elche’s emphatic 3-0 victory. With the result secured, Martínez Valero erupted. The stands vibrated with songs praising the team and the ongoing struggle to remain in the top division. The scene underscored a season’s worth of effort and belief from a squad that refused to quit, and the day’s work suggested that Elche’s battle for continuity in La Liga would be decided on their terms—one match at a time. The win confirmed that Elche had resurrected their campaign with a performance that blended solid defense, precise build-up, and opportunistic finishing. It was a reminder that, in football, momentum can shift quickly, and a club’s destiny is never truly sealed until the final whistle.