Elche Eliminates Las Palmas from the Copa del Rey with a 4-0 Victory
UD Las Palmas suffered their first official defeat of 2025 on Sunday, falling 4-0 to Elche and bidding farewell to this season's Copa del Rey. The yellow team was unable to contain a dominant opponent, who scored through Mendoza, Affengruber, Salinas, and Nico Fernández in front of 18,302 spectators at the Estadio Martínez Valero.
Las Palmas struggled in the first half, facing an opponent that dominated possession and created significant chances. Goalkeeper Dinko Horkas made several saves to deny early goals, notably against attempts by Mendoza and Nico Fernández.
Despite their efforts, the team failed to establish control or connect in attack. However, Diego Martínez's side had an opportunity in the 14th minute when Fabio Silva narrowly missed a low cross from Marvin Park in front of goal.
The first setback came at the half-hour mark when José Campaña was forced off due to an injury. Kirian Rodríguez was brought on, but the substitution did not immediately improve Las Palmas' performance.
Elche's pressure paid off in the 43rd minute when Mendoza redirected a right-wing cross into the net, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. They nearly doubled their advantage before halftime, but Nico Castro's effort hit the side netting.
Las Palmas showed signs of life in the second half, bolstered by the introductions of Moleiro and Mika Mármol in midfield. Fabio Silva and McKenna came close to scoring with shots that narrowly missed Elche’s goal.
However, Affengruber's header in the 55th minute made it 2-0, dealing a psychological blow to Las Palmas. The game slipped further out of reach as Salinas and Nico Fernández added the third and fourth goals in the 60th and 70th minutes, respectively.
Despite their efforts to find a consolation goal, Las Palmas failed to score. Jaime Mata came closest in the 89th minute, but San Román made the save.
Lineups:
Elche: San Román, Álvaro Núñez, Diaby, Affengruber, Salinas (Mario Gaspar, 80), Nico Castro, Aleix Febas (John, 72), Agustín Álvarez, Santiago (Pedro Bigas, 62), Nico Fernández (Raúl Guti, 80), Rodrigo Mendoza (Mourad, 72).
Las Palmas: Horkas, Marvin Park, Juanma Herzog, McKenna, Alex Muñoz (Jaime Mata, 67), Campaña (Kirian, 27), Loiodice (Mika Mármol, 46), Javi Muñoz, Manu Fuster, Januzaj (Moleiro, 46), Fabio Silva (Marc Cardona, 75).
Goals:
1-0: Mendoza (43’)
2-0: Affengruber (55’)
3-0: Salinas (60’)
4-0: Nico Fernández (70’)
Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero (Andalusian Committee). Yellow cards were shown to Febas, Mendoza, Salinas, Bigas, Guti (Elche) and Marvin Park (Las Palmas).