Racing Santander vs Elche Prediction: Can Anselmi's Elche Steal Points at El Sardinero?

Racing Santander host Elche at El Sardinero on 28 August 2026, Matchday 3 of La Liga, with both clubs arriving on a single point from two games and no wins. Racing are back in the top flight for the first time since 2011/12 after winning the Segunda title last season, while Elche, who finished 15th, were never seriously threatened by relegation. Neither side has found any rhythm yet, which makes this feel like the kind of game where the loser goes into a minor spiral and the winner breathes again.

There is no managerial head to head here: José Alberto López has been at Racing since December 2022, whereas Martín Anselmi only took the Elche job in June 2026, replacing Eder Sarabia, making this their first meeting.

Racing's form reads D-L: a 2-2 draw with Villarreal on 16 August, then a 0-1 loss to Getafe a week later. Elche have followed the same miserable pattern, drawing 1-1 at Deportivo La Coruña on 17 August before getting thrashed 0-5 at Barcelona on 23 August, leaving both clubs winless and hunting their first three points.

Pedro Felipe is a concern with a hamstring issue and Manu Hernando is also carrying something, which could force López to reshuffle the back line and blunt the high press he usually demands. Elche's situation is worse, with Yago Santiago out with a long term knee injury, Adam Boayar unavailable with a quad problem and Abiel Osorio uncertain after returning to fitness late. Losing Santiago and Boayar strips Anselmi of rotation options in midfield and attack, so whoever starts up front will need to last the full ninety without much cover.

López runs Racing in a 4-2-3-1 built on intensity and quick transitions, with Gustavo Puerta controlling the midfield, Iñigo Vicente creating from the left, Sergio Canales sitting one goal from a notable La Liga milestone and Andrés Martín leading the line. The back line may lose its usual shape without Felipe and with Hernando uncertain and Elche's wing backs could exploit that space.

Anselmi tends to go with a possession heavy setup, either a 5-4-1 or a 3-5-2 depending on the opponent. That system looked badly exposed at Barcelona, though a 0-5 away to the league's best side is not the kind of result you read too much into. Fer Niño leads the line and Marc Aguado anchors the midfield. Santiago and Boayar were unlikely to start anyway, so Anselmi's first choice XI is largely unchanged, though the squad depth behind it has thinned considerably.

The individual battles worth watching are Vicente drifting inside to link with Canales against Elche's wing backs, Fer Niño testing Racing's centre backs on the high line and the Puerta versus Aguado midfield duel, which will probably decide who controls the tempo. If Elche sit in a 5-4-1, Martín's runs in behind may be neutralised but the same shape creates space for Vicente on the counter.

Across 38 meetings, mostly in the Segunda, Elche lead 14 wins to Racing's 11, though the modern top flight sample between these two sides is too thin to be predictive.

Racing's set piece organisation may suffer without full defensive stability and Elche rely on Fer Niño aerially in the box.

I'm going with a 1-2 Elche win. The key factor is the absences on both sides but they hurt Racing more: losing Pedro Felipe and potentially Manu Hernando weakens the exact part of their structure that a counter attacking side like Elche wants to exploit and a reshuffled centre back pairing will face a Martín who has already been identified as the main threat on the high line. The good news for Anselmi is that Santiago and Boayar were unlikely to start anyway, so his first choice XI is largely unchanged. Anselmi's side should dominate possession through Valera and Morente and if Racing's makeshift back line gives them the pockets they need, they will take them. Racing will likely grab one through a set piece or on the break but Elche finding two feels the more realistic outcome.