Elche II beat Cartagena 2:0 in a Club Friendly on Tuesday, though the match sheet tells a curious story. M. Sciancalepore was credited with three goals — at the 19th, 39th and 40th minutes — yet the final score stood at two. By then the usual attacking numbers had not been recorded, so «Attacks 0» appeared for both sides, which tells you nothing.
Cartagena did earn more corners, 12 to 6, and committed fewer fouls, but neither side produced anything measurable in terms of territorial advantage. The visitors had won three of their last five friendlies, including a 3:0 over Oriuella on 12 August, while Elche II's recent record was mixed at best. We had tipped Cartagena to win, with 60 per cent confidence, and that was wrong — but not for any tactical reason we can identify.
What happened instead was a result without context. The goals came in a short burst around half-time, yet the statistics show no shots, no possession figures, no expected goals. To be fair, it is difficult to reconstruct a match when the data simply does not exist. Elche II kept a clean sheet, Cartagena picked up no bookings, and everyone else is left guessing.
The visitors' form had suggested they would take control — a 1:0 win over Puente-Genil and a 1:2 defeat to Valencia are not exactly dominant displays, but they showed movement. Elche II, meanwhile, had drawn 0:0 with Cartagena in August 2021 and lost narrowly to Murcia. Neither side looked convincing, yet the result was decided.
And here's the thing: the match will not be remembered for its substance. It is a friendly, played in preparation, and the numbers do not add up. Sciancalepore was on the scoresheet three times, Cartagena had more corners, and the final tally remains 2:0. That is all we have to work with.