Elche vs Girona predictions and match preview for Tuesday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Elche target their first win following another coaching change.
| Date | Tuesday 8th November 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 19:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Manuel Martinez Valero |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Elche vs Girona Preview
The midweek action in Spain commences with a big game at the bottom of LaLiga. Rock bottom and winless Elche are in desperate need of their first victory of the season but Girona will see this as a decent opportunity to record their first road win.
Elche’s home record reads the same as Girona’s away record, with just 2 points from 6 games in each case. Something has to give here and perhaps sensing the importance of this game, Elche fired their second coach of the season on Monday with Jorge Almiron departing after just 5 matches. It always felt like a slightly odd appointment given Almiron hadn’t worked wonders at the club in his previous spell, but the timing still felt slightly strange with the announcement just a day before this game, their final league match prior to the World Cup.
Sergio Mantecón takes charge for this game with the 42 year old having also acted as interim boss last season following the dismissal of Fran Escriba. He will need to find some way to lift this team which looks devoid of confidence following back-to-back losses against potential relegation rivals Getafe and Real Valladolid. They were desperately poor at the weekend at the Jose Zorrilla and are already 7 points adrift of the rest heading into this game.
As for Girona, they put in arguably their most impressive showing of the season last time out, beating high-flying Athletic Club 2-1 at Montilivi. It was a much needed win given they had been sliding towards the bottom three themselves but another victory here would lift them up towards mid-table and that would represent a really solid start on their return to the top flight heading into the long World Cup break.
With a host of young players arriving in the summer with limited experience of football at this level, it could easily have taken Girona a while to find their groove this season. Therefore Michel does deserve credit for finding some solutions quickly and merging this team into a competitive outfit. They are certainly a good watch but defensive flaws do ensure their opponents always have a chance against them.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Elche
| INJURED | Fidel, Alamo, Palacios, Pastore |
| DOUBTFUL | Fernandez |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Badia – Bigas, Roco, Verdu – Clerc, Gumbau, Mascarell, Josan – Milla, Boye, Morente (3-4-3)
Coach: Sergio Mantecón (interim)
Girona
| INJURED | Borja Garcia, Kebe, Saiz, Juanpe, Reinier, Couto |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Gazzaniga – Miguel, Bueno, David Lopez, Arnau – Yangel, Romeu, Aleix Garcia – Valery, Castellanos, Riquelme (4-3-3)
Coach: Michel
Score Prediction: Elche 1-2 Girona
Neither side has kept a clean sheet yet this season which certainly suggests we will see goals here. Girona have a bit more attacking spark though and they’ll also be much the more confident side. It’s hard to see an interim appointment, made just the day before this game, really getting anything more than the previous two coaches have managed out of this Elche side and there is a real danger that they slump to another defeat here.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
