In truth, the result was secured in the first half for Athletic, when the visitors stormed to a 4-0 lead before the break. It started with an own goal from Elche’s Nicolas Fernandez who failed to deal with Alejandro Berenguer's menacing left-footed cross, before turning it into his own goal.
A second would arrive just four minutes later, when Oihan Sancet slotted a calm penalty into the right-hand side of the goal, after referee Mario Melero pointed to the spot following a trip on Nico Williams by Elche’s Dani Vivian.
Having already conceded the second-most goals in La Liga heading into the weekend action, a leaky Elche backline was unable to fend off Athletic’s rampant attack, with Williams adding a third via a dazzling solo run midway through the half.
Not content with their returns up to that point, on the stroke of half-time, Berenguer volleyed home a fourth for the away side, ensuring boss Valverde went into the interval with a smile on his face.
While any chance of a result may have slipped away during the opening 45 minutes, Elche’s determination did see them net a consolation goal early in the second half. After nicking the ball in midfield, Lucas Boyé’s driving run caught the Athletic backline out, with his square ball finding Ezequiel Ponce, who swept home to complete a blistering counterattack.
Understandably, the comeback was always out of reach for Elche, and aside from an ambitious Boye long-range effort, Francisco Rodriguez’s men never looked like properly challenging Athletic. The hosts remain winless after five La Liga outings, with only bottom-placed Cadiz in the table. As for Athletic, they’ve now hit four goals in back-to-back away matches, as their impressive start to the season continues in fine fashion.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Nico Williams (Athletic Club)
