Petrot’s tackle on Antony led to his red card.
/ EFE
The emotional rollercoaster awaiting Elche in the final two weeks of the season had its first—though far from ideal—episode in Seville. In a match with few clear-cut chances, almost everything happened: an early goal conceded, an equalizer earned more by presence than precision, and two refereeing decisions that, by the book, were undeniable. Yet they stung, as both tipped the scales against the visitors.
The most painful was Léo Petrot’s sending-off. A textbook error from the Frenchman, who lunged in with excessive force and his studs up in an area where such aggression was unnecessary. He toppled Antony, who was running at full speed.
The referee, in what had been a clean contest until then, deemed the use of force excessive. The Brazilian’s apparent pain—miraculously eased once he saw his opponent shown red—only reinforced the decision. Elche, with the score at 1-1, were down to ten men with over half an hour to play. It was time to hold on.
And they did… but found themselves behind on the scoreboard. The numerical disadvantage soon led to the 2-1 goal, scored by Fornals with a brilliant strike from outside the box following a corner. Football’s irony: Elche coped well in open play with one man less but lost their precious point from a set piece, where numbers should have been more balanced. Fornals’ goal was superb, but the area just outside the box was left far too exposed.
Before Petrot’s red card, Elche had managed to level the contest after falling behind early. Cucho Hernández put the hosts ahead just eight minutes in, sparking dreams of a Champions League return next season. The Betis attacker finished a counter-attack with a precise shot, once again exposing Elche’s fragility in defense, as neither Affengruber nor Petrot closed him down enough.
**Disallowed Goal**
After the 1-0, Elche had possession but lacked threat. The game risked becoming yet another frustrating afternoon away from the Martínez Valero. That was until Héctor Fort, just before halftime, found a way to restore parity, following a good diagonal run by Germán Valera.
The Barcelona youth product unleashed a shot that was perfected by Junior Firpo’s touch. The deflection off the Betis full-back sent the ball into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Valles with no chance.
The closing moments of the first half offered three glimpses of a potential Elche comeback: a nutmeg by Diang that Febas dealt with poorly, a dangerous cross from Sangare that nobody finished, and finally, a goal. The 1-2. It lasted only fractions of a second before the referee signaled its cancellation. André Silva had used his arm—unintentionally—to set up Diang for the tap-in. Enough for the goal to be ruled out for a foul. Bad luck.
Back to the end: After Fornals’ missile in the 67th minute, Elche had to lift their heads at the La Cartuja Stadium and see 30 more minutes ahead with a man disadvantage. Two tasks: not concede and score. Both were complex. One was achieved—but not the desired one. Dituro saved a counter-attack from Abde, and Cucho Hernández missed a chance in stoppage time, even after dribbling past the Argentine goalkeeper.
Once again, Elche showed resilience in the worst moments, but it wasn’t enough to equalize. Affengruber ended up spending more time in the opposition box than his own. In a high press, he recovered a ball that Álvaro Rodríguez—coming off the bench after mourning his father’s death—sent over the bar. Sarabia had planned to use him in the second half, but not with only nine teammates on the pitch.
The franjiverdes pushed until the very last second, even forcing a late corner that referee Díaz de Mera Escuderos didn’t allow them to take. The fight for survival grows more complicated with each match in this league that threatens to relegate a team with a historic points total. Without any points from Seville, Elche now turn their attention to the crucial Sunday clash at the Martínez Valero against Bordalás’ Getafe. A chapter that promises to be just as tense.
