Athletic Club made it a league double over Elche with a 2-1 home victory in Spanish La Liga on February 21, 2026. In a tense and physical encounter at San Mamés, Athletic's quality in the final third proved decisive as they edged past a determined Elche side. The match process was balanced in the early stages, with Athletic breaking the deadlock midway through the first half with a driven shot from the edge of the box. Elche responded well and equalized early in the second half from a cleverly worked free-kick routine. The key moment came with fifteen minutes remaining, as Athletic's star forward was brought down in the area and converted the resulting penalty to secure the win. The focus point was the penalty decision, which was checked by VAR and upheld, much to the frustration of the Elche players and staff. The three points were crucial for Athletic's ambitions in the La Liga table, keeping them in contention for a top-six finish. The Elche manager felt hard done by the penalty call, while the Athletic coach focused on his team's ability to grind out a result. The lineups featured Athletic's powerful style against Elche's disciplined defensive setup.