Zabiri blows up Comunio with 23 points: hat-trick, a 10 on Sofascore and a fantasy festival from Racing

Real Racing Club Santander

The two teams arrived at El Sardinero level on points after the first two matchdays. Racing were looking to open their account for wins after drawing with Villarreal and losing narrowly to Getafe, while Elche needed to bounce back after a heavy defeat against Barcelona. José Alberto made changes such as Iván Martín and Zabiri, while Martín Anselmi opted for Bigas and Buonanotte from the start.

First half

Racing spotted very early where they could hurt Elche. Pressure on the visitors' build-up turned every backward pass into a dangerous situation. Canales starred in one of the first home forays and Gonzalo Villar replied for the visitors, but the match soon took place in the setting that mattered most to the Cantabrian side: winning the ball, quick transitions and space to run into.

The 1-0 came precisely from that pressure. Matías Dituro got himself into trouble near his area and Zabiri, alert to the moment, took advantage of the mistake to open the scoring in the 15th minute. Barely six minutes later, he struck again. A run by Iván Martín allowed the forward to attack the space and finish past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Elche tried to keep their idea of starting from the back, but Racing punished every loss of possession. In the 36th minute, the action that effectively broke the first half arrived: Íñigo Vicente collected the ball after another problem for the visitors in their build-up and delivered the cross for Zabiri to complete his hat-trick. Three goals in just 21 minutes, and a performance already pointing to an extraordinary Comunio haul.

Second half

Martín Anselmi made changes at the break with the introduction of Ezequiel Ponce and Tete Morente. Elche gained ground and started to position themselves more often near the area of Agirrezabala. Buonanotte tested the home goalkeeper and Víctor Chust was close to narrowing the gap with a set-piece chance.

Racing also had opportunities to put the game to bed. Canales tested Dituro and, later, Asier Villalibre found himself up against a strong save from the Argentine goalkeeper in a one-on-one. Before that, Andrés Martín had to leave the pitch after feeling discomfort, making way for Matteo Prati.

The match looked under control until Elche found a way back in. Buba Sangaré made it 3-1 in the closing stretch and, almost immediately, Fer Niño won an aerial duel to sign off on a 3-2. Racing went from defending a comfortable advantage under pressure, but they managed to close out the game without conceding an equaliser.

Top Comunio / Sofascore performers

26

Zabiri
3.280.000€+200.000€ ?

J4

23

J3

1

J2

2

J1

DL

03

For Racing, Yassir Zabiri was the big fantasy name of the matchday. His hat-trick allowed him to reach an impressive 23 Comunio points and a 10 on Sofascore. He was decisive by taking advantage of Elche's mistakes, attacking the spaces and showing huge efficiency in the box. A performance at this level inevitably puts him among the players to watch in the coming matchdays.

Íñigo Vicente also shone, finishing with 10 Comunio points and a 7.7 on Sofascore. His involvement in the third goal and his weight in the attacking play again reflected his ability to generate interesting points even without needing to score. Gustavo Puerta also earned a strong rating with 9 Comunio points and a 7.7 on Sofascore.

Andrés Martín added 7 Comunio points and a 7.3 on Sofascore. His output was positive while he was on the pitch, although his substitution during the second half leaves his physical condition as something to keep an eye on before the next matchday.

15

Fernando Niño
4.030.000€+90.000€ ?

J4

10

J3

3

J2

2

J1

DL

01

For Elche, Fer Niño was the best-rated player, with 10 Comunio points and a 7.4 on Sofascore. His goal gave the team life when the game looked decided and significantly boosted his fantasy performance.

Buba Sangaré finished with 9 Comunio points and a 6.8 on Sofascore. The 3-1 strike boosted his tally after a first half that was much more complicated. Tete Morente also left good numbers, with 6 Comunio points and a 7.0 on Sofascore, bringing energy after coming on from the bench.

Gonzalo Villar and Víctor Chust both ended on 7.0 on Sofascore, while on the negative side of the fantasy matchday Germán Valera and Ali Houary appear, who finished with 0 Comunio points.

Match details

Result: Racing de Santander 3-2 Elche CF.

Goals: 1-0, Yassir Zabiri (15'); 2-0, Yassir Zabiri (21'); 3-0, Yassir Zabiri (36'); 3-1, Buba Sangaré (78'); 3-2, Fer Niño (79').

Stadium: Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, Santander.

Referee: Carlos Muñiz Muñoz.

Racing de Santander: Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Manu Hernando, Facu González, Jorge Salinas; Gustavo Puerta, Iván Martín; Andrés Martín, Sergio Canales, Íñigo Vicente; Zabiri.

Elche CF: Dituro; Buba Sangaré, David Affengruber, Víctor Chust, Pedro Bigas, Germán Valera; Marc Aguado, Gonzalo Villar, Facundo Buonanotte, Ali Houary; Fer Niño.