Coverage:

In a tight contest at San Mames, Elche CF secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. While the scoreline might suggest otherwise, detailed analysis uncovers a game dominated by the home side in many statistical areas, but ultimately it was Elche CF's clinical proficiency that proved to be the deciding factor.

The result was settled via a second-half goal from Lucas Boye, provided through a smart assist by Jose Antonio Ferrandez Pomares just after the one and a half-hour mark. What is impressive is that the goal came from one of Elche's only two shots on target in the game. The efficiency of Elche's attack is in stark contrast with Athletic Bilbao, who had a disappointing display in front of the goal. While they fired 8 shots on target and had an astounding 19 shots off target, they couldn't find a breakthrough on the day. This lack of shooting accuracy has significantly affected Athletic Bilbao's fortunes in this fixture.

In addition to their offensive struggles, Athletic Bilbao's discipline was also a point of concern. Centre-Back, Daniel Vivian, was sanctioned with a yellow card relatively early in the match which may have forced the defensive line to play more cautiously than desired.

Elche, on the other hand, did well to keep within fair play lines with their only yellow card – awarded to Carlos Clerc Martinez – coming in the second half. The game was characterized by a significant number of fouls - 17 in total. Though Elche committed more (10 fouls versus Bilbao's 7), they managed to restrict Athletic Bilbao's dominance, interrupting their gameplay and potential attacks.

Moreover, Athletic Bilbao found little joy from their set pieces despite taking a dominant 19 corner kicks compared to Elche's 3. It was an aspect of the game where Bilbao failed to capitalize, and that might have contributed in part to their defeat.

One notable factor provided by our statistical data was the offside count. While minimal, the two offsides committed by Elche as opposed to just one from Athletic Bilbao potentially signals the away team's direct and aggressive play despite lower possession levels.

In conclusion, this match provides a perfect example of how the ultimate outcome can contrast with statistical domination. Athletic Bilbao had higher numbers in terms of shots and corners, however, Elche CF's efficiency in front of the goal and resilience in defence proved decisive. This would serve as a crucial reminder to football bettors that the volume of opportunities created during the match doesn't always convert into goals and victories, and the importance of efficiency and discipline can never be disregarded.

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