Elche and Valencia meet in Spanish La Liga on Sunday 1 November 2026 with both clubs stuck in the lower half of the table, according to BBC. Elche go into the match in 15th place on 11 points, while Valencia are 19th on seven points and occupy a relegation spot.
BBC reports that Elche have played 11 games, winning two, drawing five and losing four, with 14 goals scored and 17 conceded for a goal difference of minus three. Valencia's record over the same number of matches is one win, four draws and six losses, with seven goals for and 17 against, leaving them on minus ten.
Martín Anselmi manages Elche, and Javier Aguirre is in charge of Valencia, per BBC's team listings.
Why it matters
The gap between the clubs is only four points, but their positions carry different weight. Valencia are in 19th, one of the three relegation places marked in BBC's table, and a defeat would leave them deeper in trouble. Elche are five places clear of the bottom three but not yet safe from being drawn into the fight.
The match also pits La Liga's leakiest attack against one of its weakest. Valencia have scored seven goals in 11 league games, the joint-lowest tally in the division alongside Getafe, while Elche have found the net 14 times. BBC's table shows Barcelona leading the league on 30 points, with Atlético Madrid on 28 and Real Madrid on 27, so neither side at Sunday's match is anywhere near the title conversation.
Elche's recent form and lineup
BBC's form guide, covering each team's last six league games from oldest to newest, shows Elche drawing, losing, winning, drawing, drawing and winning. That unbeaten run of three matches at the end of the sequence includes two draws and a victory.
Anselmi's starting eleven lists Matías Dituro in goal and as captain. The back line comprises Redondo, Chust and Revivo, with Sangaré and Valera operating as wing backs. Cepeda, Villar, Morcillo and Lemar fill the midfield, and Niño leads the attack.
Lemar's afternoon was cut short: BBC records that he was replaced by Buonanotte in the 24th minute. Elche's bench includes Bigas, Martim Neto, Diangana, Josan, Houary, Iturbe, Lomónaco, Tete Morente, Osorio, Ponce and Rubén Sánchez.
Valencia's struggles and selection
Valencia's last six league results, as listed by BBC, read loss, win, loss, draw, draw, loss. Their single victory in that stretch is the only win recorded in their 11 league matches this season.
Aguirre's lineup has Dimitrievski in goal, with Gayà captaining the side from defence alongside Pepelu, Tárrega and Martínez. Rioja, Rodríguez, Mayol and Maffeo make up the midfield, and Danjuma and Guerra start up front.
Among Valencia's substitutes are Blázquez, Diakhaby, Dieng, Hugo Duro, Foulquier, Raba, Rivero, Sadiq, Ryunosuke Sato, Ugrinic, Jesús Vázquez and de Haas.
The table around them
BBC's standings, updated at 17:33 on 1 November, show the bottom of the division tightly packed. Osasuna, Racing de Santander and Elche all sit on 11 points, with Deportivo de A Coruña and Espanyol also on 11. Levante are 18th on ten points, Valencia 19th on seven and Málaga last on five.
At the other end, Real Betis are fourth on 23 points, Real Sociedad fifth on 19 and Sevilla sixth on 17. BBC notes that first to fourth place brings Champions League football, fifth brings a Europa League spot, sixth leads to Conference League qualifying, and the bottom three are relegated.
For Valencia, the arithmetic is stark: they trail Levante, the team directly above the drop zone, by three points. Elche, meanwhile, are level on points with three clubs immediately below them, so a win would create some breathing room.
What to watch next is whether Valencia can close the gap on the teams above the relegation line, and whether Elche can turn their recent unbeaten run into distance from the bottom three.
