Preview: Elche vs. Osasuna - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, could climb into the Champions League qualification places with a victory depending on results elsewhere.

Match preview

Having finished 13th last season, albeit only four points clear of the relegation places, nobody at Elche could have expected this campaign to turn out as disastrously as it has so far.

Their 1-1 draw away to fellow strugglers Cadiz on Monday night means they are now 17 games into La Liga's season without winning a single match, although sharing the spoils did at least put an end to their five game losing streak.

With Real Valladolid 12 points clear of them in 17th place ahead of this weekend's action, it seems improbable that their new boss Pablo Machin - who was appointed during the domestic season's break for the World Cup in Qatar - has any realistic chance of helping Los Franjiverdes avoid relegation for the third successive season.

As such, the 47-year-old may have one eye on preparing his side for bouncing back at the first attempt, even if he would not publicly admit this. In the meantime, he must find a way of setting the team up to win matches sooner rather than later.

Osasuna, on the other hand, continue to go from strength-to-strength since being promoted as champions from the second tier in 2019.

Jagoba Arrasate oversaw the entirety of that title-winning campaign after taking over the club in July 2018, and the former Real Sociedad boss has remained in charge since, impressively guiding them to three consecutive top half finishes in La Liga.

Los Rojillos appear to be comfortably on course for maintaining that record this season, with their 1-0 win against Mallorca last weekend seeing them leapfrog Athletic Bilbao into seventh place. As such, the 44-year-old is likely to have his eyes firmly set on helping the club qualify for Europe for the first time since reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2007.

Indeed, in the unlikely event that Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Villarreal all fail to win this weekend, a win against Elche on Sunday would see Osasuna move into fourth position, which incidentally is the highest the club has ever finished in Spain's top flight.

Whether Arrasate's side can realistically maintain such a push given that they have only scored 17 goals in 16 matches ahead of their trip to the Valencian Community remains to be seen, though. He will be hoping to see his offensive players cut loose against opponents clearly lacking confidence.

Elche La Liga form:

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Elche form (all competitions):

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Osasuna La Liga form:

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Osasuna form (all competitions):

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Team News

Elche are expected to remain without Domingos Quina (hamstring), Alex Collado (abductor), John Donald Chetauya (leg) and Jony Alamo (knee) through injury at the weekend.

Having scored their crucial equaliser against Cadiz to put an end to his side's losing run, Ezequiel Ponce could come into the attack in order to provide more goal threat.

Osasuna, meanwhile, will travel without Ruben Pena and Nacho Vidal, who are both suffering with muscle injuries.

Arrasate is unlikely to make any changes to a winning starting XI after beating Mallorca last time out, especially having put in such a dominant performance, with his side racking up 15 shots and 63% possession across the course of the game.

Elche possible starting lineup:

Badia; Palacios, Roco, Gonzalez; Carmona, Mascarell, Gumbau, Clerc; Milla, Boye, Ponce

Osasuna possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Garbayo, Hernandez, D Garcia, Sanchez; Oroz, Torro, Gomez; Avila, Budimir, Ezzalzouli

We say: Elche 0-1 Osasuna

With neither side exactly free-scoring, it is hard to envisage a classic encounter unfolding at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday afternoon.

However, the visitors' defence has proven far more efficient than struggling Elche's this season, and we expect a marginal Osasuna victory as a result.

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