Valencia Battles Relegation vs. Elche

Valencia hosts Elche at Mestalla Stadium on Saturday in a significant regional derby, with the home side desperately seeking to improve their precarious 18th-place standing in La Liga. Los Ches have struggled significantly, remaining winless in their last five league fixtures, with three draws in that span. Their most recent league match saw a concerning 4-1 defeat away to Celta Vigo.

Despite their league difficulties, Valencia's only victories across all competitions since December have been in the Copa del Rey. The team faces further challenges with long-term absentees Julen Agirrezabala and Mouctar Diakhaby, alongside the suspended Hugo Duro. New signing Umar Sadiq is expected to be available but likely start from the bench.

Elche, positioned ninth in the standings, also enters this fixture on the back of a 3-1 home loss against Villarreal. While Los Franjiverdes have shown more promise than their hosts, their recent away form has been a concern, having conceded three goals in three of their last five league road games. Despite these struggles, Valencia is tipped to secure a narrow win based on their home record against Elche.