The one-year anniversary of Sergio’s appointment as Cadiz manager will be the last thing on his mind as he looks to replicate last season’s survival, but this time with three more points than they had after their first 16 La Liga games of the prior campaign.
Cadiz CF
Despite conceding 11 shot attempts and a hefty 46 crosses (including corners), Cadiz’s steadfast defence survived a couple of nervy second-half moments to see off Valencia 1-0 and secure their first La Liga away win since September. That victory saw Cadiz move level on 15 points with Sevilla and means they could climb out of the drop zone in this round with some favourable results elsewhere. The one-year anniversary of Sergio’s appointment as Cadiz manager will be the last thing on his mind as he looks to replicate last season’s survival, but this time with three more points than they had after their first 16 La Liga games of the prior campaign.
That is perhaps largely down to the fact Cadiz’s defending has improved dramatically, with more than half (14) of their 27 goals conceded this La Liga season accrued in the five-game losing streak that opened 2022/23, whilst a further five of the remaining 13 came in one hit away to Vallecano in October.
Elche
Elche will have to defy decades of La Liga history to hold on for a fourth consecutive season in the top flight, with their winless drought in league football standing at 16 games this season. Following an embarrassing Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of third-tier Ceuta (0-1), Elche suffered a further blow by becoming just the second team this season to lose a La Liga game at home to Celta Vigo (0-1). Their paltry four-point haul is the second-lowest by any club in history after 16 La Liga rounds, while the other 11 clubs to have earned fewer than eight points after their first 16 matches all unsurprisingly were relegated come the season’s end.
Overcoming such a hurdle appears insurmountable for new manager Pablo Machin, particularly after his side collected red cards in three consecutive competitive games, which alongside a mounting injury list, left him without a full bench against Celta!
Ruben Sobrino was Cadiz’s second goalscorer in their 3-0 home win against Elche last season, matching the feat of Tete Morente (scorer of Elche’s last away goal) in the prior H2H. Cadiz have scored fewer first-half goals (three) than any other club this La Liga season.