Elche were held to a goalless draw by Celta Vigo in their La Liga encounter at the Estadio Martínez Valero on Sunday, despite dominating possession and creating more scoring opportunities.
The hosts controlled 67 per cent of possession and registered 13 shots against Celta’s seven, but struggled to convert their attacking superiority into goals.
Elche managed two shots on target, while the visitors failed to register any.
Rubén Sánchez came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when his effort struck the woodwork.
Goalkeeper Ionuț Radu also made important interventions to keep Elche at bay as the visitors defended resolutely.
Elche increased the pressure after the break, recording seven shots to Celta’s two and winning three corners without reply.
However, the hosts could not find a breakthrough despite their territorial advantage and superior passing accuracy.
Celta, meanwhile, had a rare opportunity to snatch victory when substitute Couhaib Driouech missed the target after the visitors created the match’s only clear-cut chance.
Three offside decisions also disrupted their attacking efforts as the game ended in a stalemate.
Elche finished with eight shots inside the penalty area compared with Celta’s two and recorded 22 touches in the opposition box, double the visitors’ 11.
However, Celta’s 18 tackles and 18 clearances helped them withstand the sustained pressure.
Elche defender Víctor Chust was named the Player of the Match after delivering an impressive performance at the back.
He completed 102 of his 111 passes, won five of six duels, made three tackles, two interceptions and a last-man tackle, while also recording a blocked shot.
