Eder Sarabia Tactics At Elche CF 2025/2026: La Liga’s Surprise Package – Tactical Analysis

With the current international break, we can already extract some conclusions from these first months of competition in the European leagues.

In La Liga, the verdict seems unanimous: one of the major surprises of the season is Elche CF under Eder Sarabia.

Recently promoted after finishing as runners-up in the Segunda División, the team from Elche has put together a strong enough start to remain, for now, at a safe distance from the relegation zone.

With three wins, six draws, and only three losses in 12 matches, they sit mid-table and can even afford to glance at the European spots.

Beyond the numbers, the team of the former assistant to Quique Setién has drawn praise for a game model that is both brave and recognisable.

Clean build-up from the back, patient and combinative circulation, plus a fierce high press, have turned them into one of the most stimulating teams to watch on the peninsula.

“Everything starts from bravery, from the essence of football when we were kids. In the schoolyard or in an open field, we didn’t play to waste time or to sit deep.” Sarabia recently recalled.

This statement fits perfectly with the identity that Elche displays week after week.

Although recent results haven’t fully sustained the early momentum, the level of play hasn’t dropped at all.

The return from the break will bring a test of the highest calibre: hosting none other than Real Madrid, an ideal scenario to measure the true ceiling of the team.

In this context, our Elche tactical analysis aims to dissect some of Elches on-ball behaviours to understand why Elche has earned a prominent place in La Liga’s tactical conversation.

Elche CF On-Ball Behaviours

Elche CF Initial 4-3-3 Asymmetric Structure

Before analyzing Elche’s behavior in the first phase, it is worth referring to Eder Sarabia’s own words to understand the evolution of his game model from his early stages as Quique Setién’s assistant to his current role as head coach.

“At Las Palmas, we were a team faithful to an idea and a system, the 4-3-3, but perhaps with few alternatives. At (Real) Betis, we gained flexibility. For a long time, we played with three centre-backs, and more than the system, what mattered was the development. We attacked in one way, defended in another; we were asymmetric. In short, we were richer, with more alternatives.”

That trajectory summarises well Elche’s starting point: a team which, although initially structured in a 4-3-3, is far from rigid.