Deportivo La Coruna vs Elche Prediction 17.08.2026 | La Liga

The team led by head coach Antonio Hidalgo have emerged from a turbulent but historically successful period where they managed to navigate a grueling crisis in the lower leagues and finally secure their long-awaited return to the elite division after an eight-year absence. 

The hierarchy at the Riazor worked tirelessly throughout the summer to construct a highly competitive and sustainable squad for their top-flight survival campaign, with the marquee arrival of experienced Gabonese marksman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang representing a massive reinforcement for their attacking frontline.

Deportivo La Coruna displayed an impressive level of discipline and tactical maturity during their summer preparations, and despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to giants Real Madrid in their final pre-season rehearsal at the traditional Teresa Herrera tournament, they had previously registered standout performances against Italian Serie A opposition by playing out a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina and outsmarting Genoa in a 1-0 victory.

In terms of team selection ahead of Monday's clash, defender Adrià Altimira remains under a serious cloud of doubt after picking up a troubling knee injury during training, while 19-year-old midfield prospect Noe Carrillo is heavily expected to miss out after being forced off in just the 22nd minute of that high-profile curtain-raiser against Real Madrid.

On the other side of the pitch stand Elche, a side who spent the entirety of the previous campaign dancing on the edge of the abyss before blooding out a dramatic escape to secure their La Liga survival by a solitary point clear of the relegation zone. 

The primary catalyst behind that late-season drama was their catastrophic away form, which saw them finish the term as the worst travelers in the division after triumphing just once in 19 matches on the road while suffering a staggering 13 defeats in the process.

Nevertheless, Martin Anselmi’s side enter the new campaign with a significantly higher sense of optimism following a highly encouraging pre-season period, where they truly shone in their final friendly rehearsal by displaying immense attacking potency that culminated in a dominant 3-0 dismantling of French outfit Toulouse.

On a further positive note, Los Franjiverdes head into the opening matchday with absolutely no fresh injury concerns to report, meaning they boast a completely clean bill of health as they look to leave a vastly improved impression on their travels compared to last term's miserable away exploits.