Carlos Espi scored a stoppage-time winner as Real Madrid rejoined FC Barcelona at the summit of La Liga following a last-gasp victory against Elche in their Spanish top-flight fixture away at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.
Real Madrid opened the scoring when Arda Guler’s free-kick rebounded off Elche’s goalkeeper into the back of the net before Kylian Mbappe added a second goal shortly after. Madrid let their two-goal lead slip, and Elche clawed their way back into the game, leaving Los Blancos overwhelmed by two quick finishes in a span of twelve minutes. Real Madrid came out victorious eventually as substitute Carlos Epsi nicked a winner for Los Blancos to secure consecutive league victories for the club.
Real Madrid’s attacking prowess
The game got off to a bright start for the two sides and Vinicius Junior was presented with a golden opportunity to give Real Madrid the lead with barely two minutes on the clock, but the Brazilian attacker misplaced his shot. Dean Hujsen had a header firmly grasped by Elche’s goalkeeper in the 11th minute while Elche threatened, but Abiel Osorio’s wayward shot in the 17th minute didn’t help their cause.
Real Madrid were awarded a free kick shortly after as Buba Sangare fouled Federico Valverde about 25 yards from goal and Arda Guler stepped up. Guler’s magnificent free-kick cannoned off the crossbar and ricocheted into the net off the back of a stationary Matias Dituro in the 25th minute—Madrid’s little magician with another moment of genius.
The floodgates were opened for Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe joined the goalscoring party. Summer signing Yan Diomande released a cross from the right flank to an unmarked Mbappe, and the French striker rolled the ball into the bottom corner calmly to cap off a lightning attacking move. The assist was Diomande’s first goal involvement since his mega money move to the Spanish club.
Kylian Mbappe moved clear of Raphinha on La Liga’s goalscoring charts with 7 goals to his name this season across 6 appearances — an explosive start to the season for the French Striker. Mbappe had the ball in the back of the net again in the 41st minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside as he had strayed slightly offside in the build-up to the goal.
Tete Morente came close for Elche in the closing minutes of the first half, but Thibaut Courtois pulled off a powerful save to deny him and preserved Madrid’s two-goal lead into the break.
Elche find a way back
Elche grew into the match in the second half and threatened Real Madrid, but they lacked an end product till they found the breakthrough in the 71st minute. Lucas Cepeda made a darting run across Madrid’s 18-yard box and teased a sumptuous delivery goalwards from the byline. With a powerful leap, Osioro planted an emphatic headed finish into the back of the net. Game on!
It was all too easy for the hosts as goalscorer turned provider to draw them level against the visitors. Fernando Nino scored the equalizer with a well-taken strike into the bottom corner from Osorio’s pass to cap off a well-worked team move that left Courtois rooted to the spot and caught Real Madrid’s defence out cold.
Both sides pressed for the matchwinner, but Real Madrid delivered the crushing blow.
Jude Bellingham showed skill, bravery and tenacity before releasing the ball to Mbappe, who sprinted goalwards before unselfishly squaring the ball across to Espi to tap the ball into an empty net and grab the match-winning goal in the first minute of additional time. Another game, another late winner.
Espi had come on earlier as a late substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold to save Real Madrid, the second occasion he had come up clutch this season. This was his second matchwinner after his heroics on his debut against Espanyol on the stroke of the 90th minute. Jose Mourinho’s men make it five wins from seven La Liga matches while Elche remain stuck in bottom place and are winless this season.
