Form and Line-up: Elche
Elche sit 16th with 39 points after 36 rounds: the relegation zone is very close, but the team still have everything in their own hands. The latest stretch has been tense: a defeat to Betis (1:2), a draw with Alaves (1:1), an away defeat to Celta Vigo (1:3), a win over Oviedo (2:1) and a home comeback against Atletico Madrid (3:2). At home Elche do not look like a meek relegation candidate — the hosts attack boldly, load the box and almost always find their goal.
Key numbers:
47 goals in 36 rounds — more than Getafe over the same stretch.
At the Martinez Valero they have scored 29 goals in 18 matches, an average of 1.61 per game.
At home Elche have lost only 2 of 18 La Liga matches.
The hosts have scored in 16 of their 18 home matches this season.
Probable line-up (3-5-2): Matias Dituro — Buba Sangare, David Affengruber, Victor Chust — Hector Fort, Gonzalo Villar, Marc Aguado, Martim Neto, German Valera — Grady Diangana, Andre Silva.
Absentees: Aleix Febas and Leo Petrot are suspended, Rafa Mir is doubtful with a muscle injury, Adam Boayar and Yago Santiago are injured.
Form and Line-up: Getafe
Getafe approach this match in seventh place with 48 points after 36 rounds. The win over Mallorca (3:1) settled the survival issue and restored the team’s motivation after a dry spell: before that there had been 0:0 with Oviedo, 0:2 with Rayo Vallecano, 0:2 with Barcelona and 1:0 with Real Sociedad. For Jose Bordalas everything is clear: less of the ball, more battles, set pieces, compactness and an emphasis on scrapping in midfield. Only away from home this armour is no longer so frightening.
Key numbers:
31 goals in 36 rounds — one of the most modest tallies among the teams in the top half of the table.
Away from home Getafe have conceded 21 goals in 18 matches — an average of 1.17 per game.
In four of the last five matches when Elche were the home team, Getafe conceded, and in three of those they let in two or more goals.
Probable line-up (5-4-1): David Soria — Allan Nyom, Djene Dakonam, Domingos Duarte, Zaid Romero, Juan Iglesias — Mario Martin, Luis Milla, Damian Caceres, Mauro Arambarri — Martin Satriano.
Absentees: Kiko Femenia is doubtful with a muscle injury, Juanmi Jimenez is injured.
