Elche Dispels Fears with Comfortable Victory over Córdoba

The third time was the charm. Eder Sarabia's Elche has secured its first victory with a comfortable win at the Martínez Valero (3-1) against newly promoted Córdoba, which showed many defensive weaknesses. Iván Ania's team conceded two penalties, and the score could have been even higher as Argentine Nico Fernández-Mercau missed one of them and VAR disallowed a great header goal by central defender Bambo Diaby.

The tense atmosphere of the opening minutes was particularly noticeable whenever Argentine Matías Dituro took risks in ball distribution. The pitch conditions were not helpful, and Elche struggled to find a way to trouble a confident Córdoba side. However, a well-executed play allowed Sarabia's team to exploit the right flank and break the deadlock. Josan penetrated the area after a one-two pass and delivered a precise cross for Yago Santiago to finish at the far post (1-0). Minutes later, Córdoba's left-back conceded a blatant penalty, which Nico Fernández Mercau failed to convert, leaving Elche with a minimal lead at halftime.

Elche started the second half better than the first, with more composure and confidence thanks to their partial lead. VAR disallowed a stunning header goal by central defender Bambo Diaby in the 50th minute due to an offside, but the decisive moment came in the 60th minute when another naive penalty was awarded, which this time Nico Castro converted by deceiving the goalkeeper. Elche gained confidence, dominated the game entirely, connected passes with ease, and sealed the 3-0 in the 79th minute with a close-range shot by Rafa Núñez arriving unmarked from the right.

Antonio Casas' 3-1 goal in the 93rd minute, following a rebound from Dituro, was merely cosmetic as Elche savored a convincing first victory of this 24-25 season. Eder Sarabia's team is still under construction but now knows it can compete well and win matches in such a tough league as the Segunda División. The international break does not affect Elche, which will face a tough test on Sunday with an away match against Zaragoza, one of the promotion favorites.