One point from 30 – Etxeberria’s first home game comes against the form team
Albacete are bottom of Segunda with a single point from ten games, and Joseba Etxeberria has lost both matches since taking over: 5-0 at Valladolid and 2-1 at Sporting Gijón. Sunday is his first game at the Carlos Belmonte. Eldense arrive in the opposite mood. Since Javi Calleja replaced Claudio Barragán, results have turned: they have won three in a row, and a fourth would be a first for the club in the second tier.
„Hay que ir con todo, la situación lo requiere.“ – Joseba Etxeberria (“We have to go all out; the situation demands it.”)
Predicted lineups: Albacete vs Eldense
Albacete have a long injury list. Fran Gámez, their highest-rated league player with seven starts, is out, as are Capi, Pepe Sánchez, Javi Moreno, Samuel Obeng and Antonio Puertas, and local media say there is no return date for Munir after a setback. Eldense have problems too: David Ruiz, who started six league games, is still out, along with Roberto López and Pau Cabanes. The good news for Calleja is that Mariano Carmona is back. The forward, on loan from Córdoba, returned after a month out and scored the stoppage-time winner at Valladolid. These are predicted line-ups based on the last league line-ups.
Albacete Team News & Preview
The problem for Albacete is turning chances into goals. They have scored six goals in ten games and no player has more than one, even though their expected goals are almost double that. They have not scored more than once in any league game, and they have conceded 22. At home they have lost all four league games, against Real Sociedad B, Oviedo, Córdoba and Eibar.
There were small signs of progress in Gijón last weekend, where local reports spoke of an improved performance despite the 2-1 defeat. Etxeberria has called Sunday „vital“, and a first home game under a new coach can bring a lift. The squad is thin, though, and the injury list keeps growing.
What works for or against Albacete
- Etxeberria's first home game in charge.
- An improved display at Sporting Gijón last weekend.
- One point from ten games and 22 goals conceded.
- Fran Gámez, their top-rated player, is injured.
Eldense Team News & Preview
Calleja’s arrival has changed Eldense. They won only one of their first seven league games and scored just four goals, but since the start of October they have beaten Oviedo 4-1, Córdoba 2-1 and Valladolid 3-2 away. Nine of their 13 league goals have come in those three games. Jorge Rastrojo leads the scoring with three, and Juan Larios has been their best-rated player.
Their away record is still mixed, with two wins and three defeats, and they have kept only two clean sheets all season. But they are now 11th, six points above the relegation zone, and they have a chance to make club history.
What works for or against Eldense
- Three straight wins under Calleja.
- Carmona is back and scored the winner at Valladolid.
- Three defeats in five away league games.
- David Ruiz and Roberto López are injured.
Albacete vs Eldense Odds
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Albacete vs. Eldense Stats Comparison
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Albacete vs. Eldense Form Guide
Albacete Form, Stats & Data
Albacete create more than their results suggest, with 1.17 expected goals per game, but they score just 0.6. With their best-rated player injured and no regular scorer, I find it hard to see that gap closing quickly. They also have no clean sheet all season.
Eldense Form, Stats & Data
Eldense’s underlying numbers are solid for a mid-table side: 1.47 expected goals for against 1.27 against per game, and 4.6 shots on target per match, clearly more than Albacete.
Albacete vs Eldense: Prediction & Betting Tip
I think Eldense are the better team right now, and I am covering the draw. Albacete have one point from 30, have lost every home game and have never scored more than once in a league match. Eldense have won three straight, are scoring again and have a clear lift under Calleja.
The new-coach effect is what stops me backing Eldense to win outright. This is Etxeberria’s first home game, the Belmonte crowd will be behind a team fighting for its life, and Albacete’s chances have been better than their goals. A draw would not surprise me. That is why I prefer the double chance. I am backing Eldense Double Chance at 1.57 with Winz and see a 1-1 draw.