Elche took a giant step in its aspirations of achieving permanence in the First Division after beating Mallorca, its direct rival, by a landslide, which did not get out of the danger zone.
ELC
EVIL
Elche
Edgar Badia; Gonzalo Verdú, Roco, Bigas (Diego González, 86′); Josan (Tete Morente, 71′), Mascarell, Guti (Gumbau, 67′), Fidel (Pere Milla, 67′), Mojica, Kike Pérez (Piatti, 71′) and Ponce.
Majorca
Sergio Rich; Maffeo (Kang In Lee, 46′), Valjent, Raillo, Brian Olivan, Jaume Costa (Gio González, 36′); Baba (Save Sevilla, 55′), Antonio Sánchez, Dani Rodríguez (Take Kubo, 46′), Amath (Ángel, 55′) and Muriqi.
goals
1-0 M.42 Mojica. 2-0 M.58 Pedro Bigas. 3-0 M.81 Kang In-Lee (pp).
Referee
Sanchez Martinez (Murcia). TA: Brian Oliván (45+2′), Baba (53′) and Antonio Sánchez (64′)/ Bigas (60′) and Mascarell (86′).
Stadium
Martinez Valero. 20,257 spectators.
The revolution in alignment designed by Franciscowhich introduced six changes with respect to the last game, paid off and Elche managed to break their bad dynamics against a Mallorca team that could not confirm the improvement experienced after the arrival of Javier Aguirre and that also loses the particular coefficient with a direct rival.
The Balearic team disconnected the possible exit in a storm of Elche with strong pressure and a vertical and physical game, although the first occasion, after ten minutes, was local after a cross from Loyalty what Gutiin front of goal, failed to hole with everything in favor.
The action encouraged Elche, who already assumed absolute control of the game against a withdrawn Mallorca waiting to take advantage of some mistake from Elche to project themselves on the counterattack.
Elche handled the ball patiently and looked for spaces on both flanks and with the mobility of Kike Pérez and Ponce, but the well-protected Balearic team barely saw their goal threatened.
Mallorca gave its first notice in a counter that James Costa It did not culminate against Badía in an action in which the winger suffered an injury that would force him to leave the game minutes later.
Elche’s response was immediate. Seconds later, a pass filtered by josan to the heart of the area could not finish it off Loyaltyalone and to pleasure, before Sergio Rico.
Elche kept trying and found the reward just before the break, when Mojica took advantage of a defensive rebound from the Mallorcan defense to beat Sergio Rico.
Aguirre reacted after the break with a change of system and the entry of the Asians Kubo and Lee Kang In, who gave Mallorca more imbalance and control of the ball.
The meeting opened up and it was Elche who began to enjoy spaces to counterattack.
Mallorca took a new step forward with the entry of Angel Y Save Sevilleexhausting the changes in just 10 minutes, but Elche, on the first occasion, struck again, this time through Peter Bigaswho finished off a free kick thrown by Fidel to the net.
The set of Aguirreforced by the scoreboard and the stopwatch, came to completely dominate the situation and Muriqiwith 20 minutes to go, had the option to close the gap, but his shot was blocked by josan.
Elche, focused and supportive in defense, improved with the changes and waited for the opportunity to sentence, ten minutes from the end, after an own goal from Kang In Lee to the delirium of Martínez Valero, who already sees the permanence of his team very close.
Mallorca took advantage of the relaxation of its rival to hover around the goal, although only Muriqiwith a shot to the crossbar, was close to making up the scoreboard.