Preview: Elche vs. Las Palmas - prediction, team news, lineups

Las Palmas volition question to Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero for Sunday's gathering with Elche successful the 3rd circular of the Copa del Rey.

The Segunda Division broadside are unbeaten successful 7 competitory matches, portion the top-flight outfit person avoided decision successful each of their past 5 games.

Match preview

© Imago

Elche person successfully negotiated 2 Copa del Rey ties without conceding to acceptable up Sunday's clash with Las Palmas.

Eder Sarabia's broadside thrashed fourth-tier Coria 3-0 successful their opening match, earlier Oscar Plano scored the decisive extremity successful a 1-0 triumph implicit third-tier Yeclano successful the 2nd round.

That constrictive triumph has helped Elche signifier an eight-game unbeaten tally successful each competitions, including victories against Racing Santander and Castellon successful their last 2 outings of 2024.

As a effect of their good form, Elche finished 2024 successful 4th presumption successful the Segunda Division with 36 points from 21 games, leaving them 2 points adrift of the automatic promotion spots.

Los Franjiverdes volition present beryllium looking guardant to Sunday's cupful tie, with the hosts looking to proceed their awesome signifier astatine the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, having won 5 of their erstwhile six location matches.

Having fallen astatine this signifier successful the past 2 season, Elche are hoping to scope the past 16 for the archetypal clip since 2021 erstwhile they recorded a 1-0 triumph implicit Almeria successful the 3rd round.

© Imago

Las Palmas person experienced a melodramatic upturn successful fortunes since Diego Martinez was named arsenic Luis Carrion's successor successful October.

Martinez took implicit a broadside that had started the run with 3 draws and six defeats successful their opening 9 matches.

The erstwhile Granada brag has overseen 8 wins, 1 gully and 2 defeats successful his 11 matches successful charge, including wins implicit Ontinena and Europa successful the archetypal 2 rounds of the Copa del Rey.

Martinez besides guided his broadside to a 1-0 triumph implicit his erstwhile nine Espanyol successful Las Palmas' last outing of 2024, ensuring that they finished the calendar twelvemonth successful 13th spot with a seven-point cushion to the relegation zone.

After wrapping up 2024 with a location game, Las Palmas volition caput connected their travels for their archetypal lucifer of the caller year, with the visitors looking to proceed their good signifier connected the roadworthy aft winning 3 of their erstwhile 4 distant matches (D1).

Las Palmas are aiming to scope the past 16 of the Copa del Rey for the archetypal clip since the 2017-18 play erstwhile they recorded a 6-4 triumph successful a two-legged necktie against Deportivo La Coruna astatine this signifier of the competition.

Elche Copa del Rey form:

Elche signifier (all competitions):

Las Palmas Copa del Rey form:

Las Palmas signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Elche's second-round match-winner, Plano, volition person to beryllium assessed aft helium missed the club's last outing of 2024 against Castellon.

Mourad El Ghezouani could beryllium fixed the work of starring the enactment aft uncovering the nett successful his past 2 appearances.

Las Palmas loanee Sory Kaba is acceptable to supply Sarabia with an enactment disconnected the seat for Sunday's clash against his genitor club.

As for the visitors, Dario Essugo and Viti Rozada are acceptable to miss retired done injury, portion Oli McBurnie is unavailable owed to illness.

Sandro Ramirez and Pejino person besides been struggling with illness, with the brace hoping to retrieve successful clip for Sunday's distant trip.

Goalkeeper Dinko Horkas is acceptable to travel into the side, portion Martinez whitethorn besides usage the cupful crippled to manus starting opportunities to the likes of Juanma Herzog, Manu Fuster, Enzo Loiodice and Jaime Mata.

Elche imaginable starting lineup:
San Roman; Nunez, Affengruber, Bigas, Salinas; Josan, Febas, Castro, Santiago; Mercau, El Ghezouani

We say: Elche 1-2 Las Palmas

The 2 sides volition some caput into the cupful necktie successful precocious spirits aft putting unneurotic a beardown acceptable of results successful the last stages of 2024.

As a result, we expect Elche and Las Palmas to nutrient a close-fought matter astatine Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, but we judge that the top-flight visitors volition bash capable to assertion a constrictive win, particularly aft winning 3 of their past 4 distant matches.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

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