Elche and Real Betis will both look to correct difficult runs of form on Sunday, when they square off in the first game after the recent international break.

A five-game winless run has seen the hosts drop into the bottom three of the La Liga table, while their visitors remain fifth despite consecutive league defeats.

Match preview

Elche enjoyed a relatively commendable start to the La Liga season, sitting in 14th spot with nine points from eight games, but having looked to push on from there, their form has gone in the wrong direction.

Fran Escriba's side have now failed to win any of their last five league outings, collecting just two points in that time to drop into 18th spot.

After a disappointing loss to strugglers Alaves, Los Franjiverdes fell to a narrow and understandable defeat at the hands of title-chasing Real Madrid, but they looked to have arrested their slump in the final game before the recent international break against newly-promoted Mallorca.

A Lucas Boye brace saw them take a 2-1 away lead into injury time, only for Pablo Maffeo to hit a 95th-minute equaliser for the hosts and force a share of the spoils.

That saw them drop into the relegation zone, but at this stage of the campaign, with Granada only leading on goal difference, the landscape can quickly change, and Escriba will be keen to see his side quickly climb away from the bottom three with an upturn in form.

They welcome a Real Betis side who will also look to correct their form after back-to-back league defeats prior to the international break.

After a relatively slow start to the campaign, Manuel Pellegrini's side quickly established themselves at the top end of the table with a run of 19 points from eight league games, as they put their first six victories of the season on the board.

Their form has since taken another dip though, coinciding with the hectic schedule brought about by Europa League fixtures.

Los Verdiblancos faced tough tests against defending champions Atletico Madrid and most recently Sevilla, either side of a continental clash with Bayer Leverkusen, over the course of eight days, and they were handed three defeats, conceding nine goals and failing to score in the process.

After a 3-0 defeat to the Madrid outfit and a 4-0 thrashing in Germany, Real Betis were brushed aside by Sevilla on home turf, as Marcos Acuna found the net alongside a Hector Bellerin own goal after Guido Rodriguez had been sent off for the hosts.

Despite their notable dip in form - somewhat understandable given the tough run of fixtures - Pellegrini's men remain in fifth spot in the Spanish top flight, and they will hope to return from a break with renewed energy and get back to winning ways on Sunday.

Team News

Elche's only absentee should be winger Pablo Piatti, who continues a spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury.

They will welcome important midfielder Raul Guti back, though, after he served a suspension last time out for a red card shown in the defeat to Real Madrid, with former Paris Saint-Germain and Roma star Javier Pastore also expected to play an important role in the central unit.

Their line will again be led by Lucas Boye, who has netted four goals in 10 La Liga appearances so far this campaign, including a brace in the recent draw with Mallorca.

Real Betis are without Guido Rodriguez, who is suspended following his red card last time out, while Youssef Salaby and creative midfielder Victor Camarasa will likely continue to miss out through injuries.

Willian Jose should continue to lead the line, having hit five goals in 10 league appearances this term, while winger Juanmi has netted four and Nabil Fekir continues to offer plenty of quality in the final third.

Elche possible starting lineup:
Casilla; Palacios, Bigas, Roco, Mojica; Mascarell, Pastore; Perez, Guti, Fidel; Boye

Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Silva; Bellerin, Pezzella, Ruiz, Moreno; Guardado, Carvalho; Juanmi, Fekir, Iglesias; Jose

We say: Elche 0-2 Real Betis

Real Betis certainly boast more quality than their hosts, and we back them to return to winning ways on Sunday.

Los Verdiblancos' issues may have come from a hectic schedule brought about by Europa League fixtures, but they should be refreshed after a break and will hope to hit their stride again in the coming weeks.

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