Carlos Espí's Late Winner Secures Real Madrid Victory Over Elche

Carlos Espí struck deep into stoppage time to rescue Real Madrid at Elche, finishing off a flowing move from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé to seal a chaotic 3-2 win in La Liga on Tuesday.

What had looked like a routine night for Madrid suddenly turned into a test of nerve. A two-goal cushion vanished. Elche roared back. And then, in the final seconds, Madrid’s new attacking trident snapped into life.

Near the halfway line, Bellingham killed the tension with a touch. One long, elegant stride past his marker and the pitch opened up. He slid Mbappé through on the break, the France star racing into the box before squaring unselfishly for Espí, who tapped in from close range. From collapse to catharsis in a few seconds.

The late winner pulled Madrid level on points with Barcelona. The defending champions can move back clear at the top when they host promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.

Madrid had seemed in complete control early on. In the 25th minute, Matías Dituro turned the ball into his own net to hand the visitors the lead, and Elche sagged. Eight minutes later, the gap doubled: Yan Diomande threaded a pass into the area, and Mbappé arrived to finish from close range, his movement too sharp, his touch too clean.

Then came a scare. Right after scoring, Mbappé stayed down, grimacing, as the stadium held its breath. Club doctors rushed on, assessed him, and eventually he got back to his feet and continued. Madrid exhaled and tried to reassert their grip.

Mbappé thought he had another just before halftime, only to see it ruled out for offside. Still, his numbers keep climbing. His goal in Elche took him to seven in six league matches, one clear of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández. He had already hit a brace in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round.

But Madrid’s only league blemish this season came at Real Betis two games ago, and the old fragility flickered again. Elche refused to fold.

Abiel Osorio dragged the hosts back into it with a firm header in the 71st minute, the noise inside the ground surging as belief returned. Madrid, who had been strolling, suddenly looked rushed. Passes went astray. Duels were lost.

The equalizer felt inevitable. In the 83rd minute, Fer Niño struck, leveling the match at 2-2 and sending the home fans into delirium. Madrid, from cruising at 2-0, were staring at two dropped points and a dent in their early-season authority.

Then came the final twist, written by Bellingham, Mbappé and Espí. One move, three touches of quality, and the league leaders’ script was restored — just.

Valencia’s Reset Pays Off

Earlier in the day, Valencia finally stopped the bleeding.

A 1-0 win away at Alaves ended a four-game losing streak and halted the hosts’ unbeaten start to the season. It also offered a first glimpse of stability after a brutal week behind the scenes.

A run of heavy defeats, capped by a 5-0 home humiliation against Barcelona, had triggered the dismissal of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay over the weekend. The club then installed Braulio Vázquez as sporting director and handed B-team coach Óscar Sánchez the role of interim manager.

On the pitch, Valencia arrived having been outscored 10-1 in recent matches. Their supporters had turned on the squad, branding the players “mercenaries” and once again renewing long-standing protests against owner Peter Lim.

Against that backdrop, Luis Rioja’s 78th-minute winner carried extra weight. It was not just three points. It was a pause in the freefall and a small measure of calm for a fan base that has been living on the edge for years.

Rayo’s Borrowed Home Stays Kind

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

Playing what may be their final “home” match at Butarque Stadium, Rayo beat Espanyol 2-1 thanks to first-half goals from Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa. Unsafe conditions at Vallecas have forced the club to relocate its home fixtures to Butarque, the ground of second-tier Leganes.

The makeshift arrangement has suited them. Rayo have now taken seven points from three “home” games there, having already beaten Racing Santander 3-2 and drawn 1-1 with Alaves at the same venue.

Espanyol refused to go quietly. Roberto Fernández struck in stoppage time, his sixth goal in six matches, to set up a tense finale. But Rayo held on, closing out another productive night in exile.

Soon, they expect to walk back out at Vallecas. The question now is whether this resilience on the road will travel with them when they finally step back into their own neighborhood.