Real Madrid Secures Last-Minute Win Against Elche

Real Madrid flirted with a collapse, then snatched all three points at the death.

Carlos Espí struck in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win at Elche on Tuesday, bailing out Madrid after it had squandered a two-goal lead and briefly lost control of a match it had dominated.

The winner came from the club’s star power and a cool head in chaos. Jude Bellingham, under pressure near midfield, killed the ball with a long touch, rolled past his marker and surged into space. He released Kylian Mbappé into the box, and the France forward needed only a glance. One sharp pass across goal, one simple finish from Espí from close range, and Madrid were level on points with Barcelona again.

The defending champions now have the chance to move back clear at the top when they host promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday. They will arrive relieved more than satisfied.

Madrid had seemed in cruise control early on. On 25 minutes, an own goal from Matías Dituro handed them the lead, the Elche defender turning the ball into his own net to cap a spell of sustained pressure. Eight minutes later, the gap doubled. Yan Diomande picked out Mbappé in the area, and the forward finished from close range to make it 2-0, apparently killing the contest before halftime.

Turning Point

Then the game turned.

Elche refused to fold and began to push higher, sensing Madrid’s drop in intensity. Abiel Osorio dragged the hosts back into it in the 71st minute, rising to meet a cross and heading past the Madrid goalkeeper to ignite the home crowd. The equaliser felt inevitable once the momentum swung. It arrived in the 83rd minute, when Fer Niño found the net to make it 2-2 and send a jolt through the visiting bench.

From comfort to crisis in just over 10 minutes.

Madrid still had another scare to endure. Right after his first-half goal, Mbappé stayed down in clear pain, drawing worried looks from teammates as medical staff rushed on. After treatment from the club’s doctors, he eventually got back to his feet and returned to the pitch, easing immediate fears.

He would have the final say in open play as well, combining with Bellingham to set up Espí’s decisive touch in stoppage time. A night that threatened to become a damaging slip instead ends with Madrid back alongside Barcelona and still dictating the pace of the title race.

The performance raised questions. The result kept the pressure on their rivals. Racing Santander now walk into a stadium that expects not just victory, but a response.