Real Valladolid didn’t waste any time to show why they entered the round sitting several spots above Elche in the La Liga standings and only needed four minutes to break the deadlock. Larin, who has been an instant success for La Pucela since joining the club during the January transfer window, broke the deadlock with a shot from inside the box, though a deflection certainly helped his case. It was Larin’s fourth goal with Valladolid in seven league matches since moving from Club Brugge.
The visitors tried to slow things down after their early goal and allowed Elche to push forward, with Lucas Boye and Randy Nteka looking particularly dangerous.
Despite creating some decent opportunities, the hosts failed to generate any real threat in the final third and didn’t look particularly close to scoring an equaliser before half-time. Elche led in most statistical categories, enjoyed more possession and played most of the first half hovering around Valladolid’s final third, but the lack of accuracy in their end product was their downfall.
Elche tried to turn things around in the second half with the entrances of Morente and Ezequiel Ponce, but the lack of ideas was alarming at first, and the home side seemed unable to complicate the opposing defence. That changed as the second half progressed, however, and Elche came close to equalising twice in a three-minute span, first via Morente and Boye with a long-range shot and a missed rebound, and then through Enzo Roco, whose header forced Sergio Asenjo to make a massive save from close range.
It seemed the hosts would have to settle for an undeserved loss, but Morente came through when his team needed him the most and scored a late equaliser in the 96th minute to rescue a point for Elche. The aftermath of the goal saw two red cards for Valladolid as tempers flared, with Roque Mesa and Martin Hongla both dismissed. Elche still sit 12 points adrift from safety.
As for Valladolid, they were severely punished for their complacency, as this was a team that barely created anything after breaking the deadlock in the opening minutes, and this game could’ve ended differently hadn’t it been for Asenjo’s prowess between the posts.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tete Morente (Elche)
