Messi’s Eldense turnaround: Calleja’s side strings together comebacks

Leo Messi watches from Miami as Eldense has transformed in less than a month, jumping from failing to turn good play into points to looking like one of the big sides in the league after Javi Calleja arrived.

The coach was blunt about the new identity: “Sabemos nuestras virtudes y fortalezas. Remontamos partidos y ahora queremos ponernos por delante”. Inside the Pepico Amat dressing room, the message is now that “nos crecemos ante las adversidades”.

From early setbacks to comebacks

As MARCA reports, the turnaround is showing in results: the last three games under Calleja have ended with an Eldense remontada. Before that, his first matches brought losses due to small, decisive errors against Leganés and Burgos.

The turning point came at Pepico Amat versus Oviedo. The visitors scored within the first minute, but the Alicante side fought back.

Tactical tweaks and late survival

Calleja also stands out for the way he changes things across a match. Against Córdoba, the introduction of Clemente forced a penalty that led to the win, and versus Valladolid the key moment came when Carmona left the game’s setup and then found the winning goal in a 2-3.

Late on, Eldense went from suffering in Leganés to getting points at the last second: nine out of nine in their last three, including wins when stoppage time was running out. With Rastrojo coming alive recently and Carmona returning to score after an injury, the club is moving away from the relegation fight and aiming higher.