Espí's stoppage-time winner spares Madrid's blushes at Elche

Real Madrid extended their winning run to three matches across all competitions but were forced to the limit at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, where a 90th-minute strike from substitute Carlos Espí secured a 3-2 victory over Elche. The visitors appeared in control after a 25th-minute own goal from Matías Dituro and a Kylian Mbappé finish gave them a 2-0 half-time lead, only for Abiel Osorio and Fer Niño to level the contest in a frantic second half.

Real Madrid operated in a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Elche lined up in a 4-1-4-1 shape. The visitors used their midfield double pivot to bypass Elche’s lone pivot and dominate possession in the opening period. In the first half Madrid enjoyed 52% possession compared to Elche’s 48%, built 2.03 xG to the hosts’ 0.27, and registered five shots on target to Elche’s one. Elche’s low block squeezed space, limiting Madrid’s touches in the box to just six before the interval, while Madrid’s 24 half‑box touches highlighted their penetration.

The breakthrough came from a set‑piece delivery. A cross into the six‑yard box forced Matías Dituro into a clumsy intervention, resulting in an own goal in the 25th minute. Madrid doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Yan Diomande supplied a low cross and Kylian Mbappé finished with a right‑footed strike (0.61 xG). Before the break Madrid completed 118 passes in the opposition half at 89% accuracy, while Elche managed 217 such passes at 91%. The half also saw 17 fouls committed – 11 by Elche and four by Madrid – and a single yellow card for each side.

Elche adjusted at half‑time, raising their possession share to 59% in the second period and committing more bodies forward. The hosts increased their touches in the Madrid box to 17, and the pressure told in the 71st minute when Abiel Osorio headed home a Lucas Cepeda cross (0.22 xG) to halve the deficit. Four minutes later Fer Niño capitalised on a Josan cutback, firing a right‑footed shot through a crowded penalty area to level at 2‑2 (0.09 xG). Elche’s aggressive push left them exposed on the counter; Kylian Mbappé, who led the visitors with 0.71 xG, drove to the byline in the 90th minute and delivered a precise cutback. Carlos Espí met the ball to tap home from close range (0.88 xG), securing the three points.

Overall, Real Madrid’s 3.56 xG advantage over Elche’s 0.85 underlined the quality gap, yet the 3‑2 scoreline reflected a match in which the visitors flirted with a dropped result. Madrid registered 20 shots to Elche’s 11, four shots on target to three, and five big chances to one. In duels, Madrid won 52 compared to Elche’s 38, and their 383 accurate passes (89%) edged Elche’s 492 (91%) in total volume despite the hosts’ higher possession after the break. The result keeps Madrid top of LaLiga, while Elche remain winless in three outings.

FotMob.