For about an hour, this looked like a formality. By the 90th minute, Real Madrid were sweating.
Los Blancos left Estadio Martínez Valero with all three points, beating Elche 3-2 in a game that had genuinely no business being that close — until it very much was. The win moves Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga, but manager José Mourinho didn’t sound like a man celebrating a comfortable night.
Two Goals in Ten Minutes, and It Looked Over
Real Madrid came out fast, and the breakthrough arrived in bizarre fashion in the 25th minute. Arda Güler stepped up for a direct free-kick that thundered off the right post, clipped Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro on the way through, and trickled in as an own goal. Eight minutes later, Real Madrid doubled their lead properly — Yan Diomandé, on for his full debut involvement, whipped in a low cross that Kylian Mbappé finished first-time for his seventh league goal of the season.
Two goals inside ten minutes, both created through pressure Real Madrid had applied from kickoff. At that point, this had the look of a routine away win before a huge derby against Atlético Madrid just five days later.
Elche Refused to Fold
Instead, Elche clawed their way all the way back. Abiel Osorio pulled one back in the 71st minute, and just twelve minutes later, Fer Niño leveled things at 2-2 — turning a comfortable Real Madrid evening into a genuine relegation-six-pointer atmosphere, despite Elche sitting 20th in the table.
Mourinho’s side, missing several key names as part of a squad rotation ahead of the derby, suddenly looked shaky at the back with the game there to be lost.
Carlos Espí, Again
Real Madrid found their answer deep into stoppage time. Jude Bellingham drove forward with a clever long touch to beat his marker near midfield, released Mbappé in behind, and the French forward squared it first-time for substitute Carlos Espí to tap home the winner in the 93rd minute.
It wasn’t the first time this season Espí has rescued a Real Madrid performance from the bench — the summer signing from Levante also came up big in Matchday 1 against Espanyol. Mbappé, ever the professional, set up the goal rather than going for a personal double, though he couldn’t properly celebrate afterward — he picked up a knock to his left thigh from an accidental collision with Dituro just before the goal, though he was able to play on without further issue.
What Mourinho Had to Say
“We went from having it easy to losing control,” Mourinho admitted afterward. “But in the difficulty of the moment, facing the pressure of losing points, the team reacted and won the match, which in the end is the most important thing. The good thing is that nobody gets bored when Real Madrid plays. The games are always fun.”
What It Means
The result pulls Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga, keeping the title race exactly as tight as it’s been all season. But the warning signs were obvious heading into a derby against Atlético Madrid just five days later — a defense that surrendered a two-goal lead to a side sitting 20th in the table is not one that inspires much confidence heading into the biggest fixture of the month.
Real Madrid survived Elche. Whether they can survive their own defending against Atlético is a different question entirely.
Leave a Reply