Portugal striker André da Silva marks full Elche debut with goal in La Liga [video] | OneFootball

Sevilla 2-2 Elche

Newly promoted Elche are proving the revelation at the beginning of the new Spanish top flight season, after a draw at Sevilla on Friday night maintained their unbeaten start.

Elche’s new Portuguese striker André da Silva marked the occasion by scoring against his former club to level the match at 1-1 during the second half, finding the new on his first start for the Valencian side.

It is the first time in the club’s history they have gone the opening four matches of a La Liga season unbeaten, in what is Elche’s 26th appearance in the top tier of Spanish football. Another feel-good story is a first point secured at Sevilla’s Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium in 40 years, which could have been all three points but for an 85th minute equaliser by Peque Fernández for the hosts.

Da Silva joined Elche during the summer from RB Leipzig, signing a one-year contract after seeing his career blighted by injuries and loss of form in recent years. Since leaving Porto at the age of 21, Da Silva has turned out for AC Milan, Sevilla, Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, Real Sociedad and Werder Bremen, before returning to Spain for a third stint last month.

“We're doing the best we can and enjoying ourselves. We're confident and excited,” Da Silva, who turns 30 in November, said of the team’s bright form. “We missed out on victory [tonight] but we're going home with a point and we were hoping to do well. We were ahead, and Sevilla also fought until the end.

Having come from behind, Elche stunned the home crowd by leading during the second half. “Sevilla were marking man to man and using their physical strength,” Da Siva said. “When we started to get our dynamic going, we gained more confidence throughout the match."

Finally, the striker commented on going by an adjusted version of his name. “It's always been my name. It runs in the family, and I've been thinking about adding it for a while.”