Real Madrid's Dramatic Win Over Elche with Late Goal from Carlos Espí

Carlos Espí struck deep into stoppage time to rescue Real Madrid, finishing off a dazzling move from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé in a wild 3-2 win at Elche that almost became a disaster.

With Madrid’s two-goal cushion gone and the game stretched, Bellingham took charge near midfield. One long, elegant touch sent him gliding past his marker and into space. He released Mbappé on the break, the France star bursting into the box before squaring for Espí, who arrived to sweep in from close range. Relief for Madrid. Agony for Elche.

The late winner pulled Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. The defending champion now has the chance to move clear when it hosts promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.

Madrid wobble after fast start

For an hour, this looked routine.

Madrid went ahead in the 25th minute when Matías Dituro turned the ball into his own net, the opener settling any early nerves. Eight minutes later, Mbappé appeared to have killed the contest. Yan Diomande slipped him in and Mbappé did the rest from close range, his finish as ruthless as ever to make it 2-0.

Then came a scare. Moments after scoring, Mbappé stayed down in obvious pain, the stadium holding its breath as Madrid’s medical staff rushed on. He eventually got back to his feet and continued, easing fears of a serious problem.

He remained a constant threat. He even had the ball in the net again just before halftime, only for the flag to go up for offside.

That would prove costly. Elche refused to fold.

Abiel Osorio dragged the hosts back into it with a powerful header in the 71st minute, and suddenly Madrid’s control vanished. The pressure built, the noise grew, and in the 83rd minute Fer Niño found the equalizer, turning a comfortable evening into a crisis.

Only then did Madrid react with the urgency the situation demanded. The late surge ended with Espí’s decisive touch, sparked by Bellingham’s drive and Mbappé’s vision.

Mbappé’s goal on the night took him to seven in six league games, moving him one ahead of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández in the scoring charts. He arrived on the back of a brace in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round. Aside from a defeat at Real Betis two matches ago, Madrid’s league form remains strong. The performance in Elche, less so.

Valencia stop the bleeding

Valencia, meanwhile, finally stopped their slide.

A 1-0 win away to Alaves ended a four-game losing streak and halted the hosts’ unbeaten start to the season. It came after a turbulent weekend in which the club fired coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay, then installed Braulio Vázquez as sporting director and promoted B-team coach Óscar Sánchez as interim manager.

Luis Rioja struck the winner in the 78th minute, a rare bright moment in front of goal for a side that had been outscored 10-1 during its brutal run.

Tension around the club has been simmering for a long time. Valencia fans, furious after a 5-0 home thrashing by Barcelona, had branded the players “mercenaries” and renewed their calls for owner Peter Lim to leave. One win will not silence that anger, but it at least changes the conversation on the pitch.

Rayo make Butarque a temporary fortress

Rayo Vallecano also found reasons to smile, and once again they did it away from their true home.

Playing what could be their final “home” match at Butarque Stadium — the ground of second-tier side Leganes — Rayo beat Espanyol 2-1 thanks to first-half goals from Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa.

Unsafe conditions at Vallecas Stadium had forced Rayo to relocate their home fixtures. They adapted quickly. At Butarque, they have now beaten Racing Santander 3-2, drawn 1-1 with Alaves, and edged Espanyol.

Roberto Fernández struck in stoppage time for Espanyol, his sixth goal in six matches, but it came too late to change the result.

Madrid escaped in Elche, Valencia breathed again, and Rayo kept turning a borrowed ground into a weapon. The table is tight, the margins thinner, and the next round already looms with questions no one can dodge.