Real Madrid's Dramatic Win Over Elche with Espí's Late Goal
Real Madrid went from cruise control to crisis and back again in one wild night at Elche, needing a stoppage-time strike from Carlos Espí to scrape a 3-2 win and stay level on points with Barcelona.
They had led 2-0. They almost threw it away. Then Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé ripped up the script.
With the clock deep into added time and Madrid wobbling, Bellingham produced the moment that changed everything. Near midfield, he killed the tension with one long, elegant touch past his marker and surged into space. Elche’s back line opened up. Mbappé darted in behind, took the pass and, instead of going for glory himself, slid the ball across for Espí to finish from close range.
From panic to relief in a few seconds. The Spanish champions, suddenly, were back in control of their title race. Barcelona stay alongside them on points, but Madrid can move clear again when they host promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.
Mbappé on the mark again
Madrid had seemed in no danger for an hour.
They went ahead in the 25th minute when Matías Dituro turned the ball into his own net, and the visitors settled into their familiar rhythm. Elche chased shadows, and when Yan Diomande picked out Mbappé in the 33rd minute, the outcome felt inevitable. The France star pounced from close range to double the lead and underline his current dominance in La Liga.
There was a jolt of anxiety moments later. Mbappé stayed down after scoring, clearly in pain, and needed treatment from the Madrid medical staff. For a brief spell, the away end held its breath. He got back up, though, and played on.
His form remains ruthless. That goal took him to seven in six league matches, one more than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández. He had hit a brace in the 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round and even found the net again just before halftime here, only to see that effort ruled out for offside.
Elche roar back
The game should have been dead. Elche refused to accept that.
As Madrid eased off, the hosts grew bolder. Crosses started to cause problems, second balls began to fall their way, and the noise inside the stadium rose with every challenge won.
The pressure finally told in the 71st minute. Abiel Osorio met a delivery with a firm header to drag Elche back into the contest and plant doubt in Madrid minds. Suddenly, every attack looked dangerous. Every clearance felt rushed.
Madrid never fully regained control, and they paid for it in the 83rd minute. Fer Niño struck the equalizer, completing a comeback that had seemed unthinkable when Mbappé made it 2-0. The champions, who had only stumbled once in the league so far — away to Real Betis two rounds ago — were staring at another costly slip.
Then came Bellingham’s stride, Mbappé’s vision, and Espí’s finish.
Valencia stop the slide
Elsewhere, Valencia finally found a way to stop their own freefall.
A 1-0 win at Alaves ended a four-game losing run and spoiled the hosts’ unbeaten start to the season. It came at the end of a turbulent few days in which Valencia tore up their hierarchy and started again.
The poor sequence of results triggered the dismissals of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay over the weekend. The club then turned to Braulio Vázquez as sporting director and handed B-team coach Óscar Sánchez the reins as interim manager.
The response on the pitch was tight, tense and ultimately effective. Luis Rioja struck in the 78th minute, giving Valencia a desperately needed goal after being outscored 10-1 during their losing streak.
The relationship between the club and its supporters remains raw. Fans had branded players “mercenaries” after the 5-0 home humiliation against Barcelona, and anger towards owner Peter Lim continues to simmer. One win won’t fix that. But it does at least give the new structure something to build on.
Rayo make Butarque a fortress
Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, have turned a temporary home into a profitable one.
They beat Espanyol 2-1 at Butarque Stadium, with Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa striking in the first half to set up another “home” victory away from Vallecas. It may prove their final outing there before they return to Vallecas Stadium, which has been deemed unsafe and forced them to relocate.
This was Rayo’s third home league match at Butarque — the ground of second-tier Leganes — and they have made it count: a 3-2 win over Racing Santander, a 1-1 draw with Alaves, and now another win against Espanyol.
Roberto Fernández kept his own hot streak alive with a stoppage-time goal, his sixth in six matches, but it came too late to deny Rayo.
Madrid, Valencia, Rayo: three different stories, one round. A late rescue act in Elche, a reset in Valencia, and a borrowed fortress in Butarque — all shaping a league that refuses to settle into any kind of routine.
