Gardesh Women beat Elche Mustang 20:16 in the Liga Guerras Iberdrola on Tuesday evening. The result keeps both sides level on points at the top of the table, though the hosts maintain their place on goal difference. Two wins from two games for each team, and neither side has dropped a point so far this season.
By then, you could see this would be tighter than the recent results suggested. Gardesh had won their previous two matches comfortably — 26:16 against BM Morvedra and 29:17 over Sporting La Rioja. Elche were on a similar run, beating Porriño 26:16 and Gran Canaria 31:26. When two unbeaten sides meet, the margin usually shrinks.
And here's the thing about predictions — we'd given the home side a 54% chance of winning, and that came through. Not because the result was uncertain, but because home advantage matters when both teams are playing at this level. Elche had nothing to prove, but Gardesh felt the pressure of carrying the table.
To be fair, the scoreline tells you everything about the evening. Twenty goals for the hosts, sixteen for the visitors. Neither side dominated possession or created overwhelming numbers — this was a match decided by efficiency at both ends. Gardesh kept things simple, Elche couldn't find the same rhythm they'd shown against Gran Canaria.
By the end, the hosts had seen the game out. Four points each, but the difference between first and second place is now clear. Elche will need to respond away from home next time, and Gardesh can spring a surprise if they keep this level of concentration.
