Real Madrid let a 2-0 halftime lead turn into a 2-2 tie before substitute Carlos Espí, on the pitch for barely three minutes, settled it in the 90th to hand Jose Mourinho’s side a 3-2 win at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero. Kylian Mbappe’s first-half goal and an Elche own goal had put the visitors in a comfortable position, but two second-half strikes from the hosts threatened to hand Real Madrid a damaging draw. Instead, Mbappe turned provider, teeing up Espi for the winner that keeps Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Key Moments
- 25′, Elche goalkeeper Dituro turned a Real Madrid cross into his own net, giving the visitors an early advantage at the Martinez Valero.
- 33′, Kylian Mbappe doubled the lead, converting an assist from Diomande to make it 2-0 before halftime.
- 71′, Osorio pulled one back for Elche after coming on as a starter, converting a pass from substitute Cepeda to reignite the home crowd.
- 83′, Fer Nino leveled at 2-2, assisted by Josan, completing Elche’s comeback from two goals down and throwing the result wide open.
- 90′, Carlos Espi, introduced just three minutes earlier for Trent Alexander-Arnold, converted a Mbappe pass to win it at the death for Real Madrid.
Tactical Breakdown
Real Madrid were the sharper side in the first half despite playing without the ball, holding just 44% possession across the ninety minutes. Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 pressed high on transitions, and the results were immediate: two goals before the break from a combined 20 shots, 15 of them inside the box. The visitors did not need to dominate territory to hurt Elche, who fielded a compact 4-5-1 but were exposed on the counter repeatedly in the opening forty-five minutes.
The match turned after Mourinho’s double substitution at the 68th minute, bringing on Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz for Arda Guler and Vincius Junior. The move was meant to manage the game but instead ceded momentum. Elche, already energized by their own double change at 58 minutes, found space through the reconfigured midfield and scored twice in twelve minutes. Mourinho responded by sending on Endrick and, critically, Carlos Espi in the 86th and 87th minutes, a gamble that paid off immediately.
Elche’s second-half revival owed much to their substitutes. Fer Nino and Cepeda both contributed directly to the two goals that drew the hosts level, and the home side generated enough pressure to make Real Madrid’s back line look shaky. But with four yellow cards and 21 fouls on the night, Elche could not sustain the tempo, and a single lapse in the final seconds cost them a point they had come close to earning.
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Verdict
Real Madrid move to 15 points after six games, level with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga though the Catalans have played one fewer fixture. The manner of this win, surrendering a two-goal lead before a stoppage-time rescue, will concern Mourinho even as he collects three points. Elche, still second from bottom with just two points from six matches, remain in serious difficulty.