Real Madrid survived a major scare at the Martínez Valero as Carlos Espí struck in stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche in La Liga on Tuesday.
José Mourinho’s side appeared to be cruising after taking a two-goal lead in the first half, but Elche produced a remarkable second-half fightback before Espí restored Madrid’s advantage at the death.
Güler Breaks Long-Standing Free-Kick Drought
Real Madrid made a bright start and eventually broke the deadlock through Arda Güler, whose free-kick took a decisive deflection off Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro before finding the net.
Madrid then doubled their advantage through Kylian Mbappé, who continued his outstanding start to another season. The French forward also had another effort ruled out for offside before the break as Madrid threatened to put the game beyond Elche.
Elche Produce Stunning Comeback
The game flipped completely after the break. Elche became more aggressive and began putting pressure on Mourinho’s defence. The hosts eventually pulled one goal back with a header before finding the equaliser inside the final 10 minutes.
Real Madrid had created 2.03 xG in the first half, but their attacking output dropped sharply after the break, producing only 0.52 xG between the 46th and 90th minutes.
Carlos Espí Completes Late Rescue
Mourinho turned to Carlos Espí, and the substitute delivered once again. Espí entered the game with only three minutes of normal time remaining. Just four minutes after coming onto the pitch, he finished from a pass by Mbappé to restore Madrid’s lead in injury time and complete the 3-2 victory.
The striker has now scored twice in just 26 minutes of La Liga action across five appearances this season.
Yan Diomande also enjoyed an influential outing for Madrid. The winger registered his first assist for the club and completed seven dribbles, the highest total by any player in the match.
The win keeps Madrid’s strong start to the season moving, but the dramatic second-half collapse will give Mourinho plenty to consider before the team’s next encounter against Atletico.