Real Madrid failed to win for a third consecutive match in all competitions after fighting back to get a draw away at an Elche side that would later be reduced to 10 men. Los Blancos went behind twice with both goals coming from two of their ex players in Aleix Febas and Alvaro Rodriguez. Dean Huijsen equalised the first time and Jude Bellingham went from provider to scorer to equalise the second.
It was a somewhat unconventional set up by Xabi Alonso as Madrid supposedly lined up in a 3412 with Mbappe and Rodrygo up top and Bellingham just behind them but for much of the match, it looked like Fran Garcia was playing left wing instead of wingback and Rodrygo was playing right wing. Eder Sarabia’s men meanwhile were set up in a 442 with Rafa Mir and Andre Silva up top, flanked by German Valera on the left and Grady Diangana on the right.
The clash at the Estadio Martínez Valero was a tense and closely contested affair, ultimately ending in a dramatic 2-2 draw. The initial phases of the game immediately highlighted the quality of the goalkeepers, setting the tone for the entire first half. Early on, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois was called into action, making a fine save to deny Andre Silva after he was set up by Hector Fort.
Elche created the first clear-cut chance from a Real Madrid defensive error. A mistake by Álvaro Carreras, who was caught in possession, allowed Rafa Mir to go one-on-one with Courtois, but the Belgian keeper comfortably stopped the resulting tame effort. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s initial attempts were somewhat wide of the mark, with Kylian Mbappé firing wide from the edge of the area in the 10th minute , and Arda Güler seeing a long-range shot just whistle past the post later in the first half.
The middle portion of the first half featured a thrilling duel between Mbappé and Elche’s goalkeeper, Iñaki Peña. Around the 30th minute, Mbappé managed to race through on goal from the right side, but Peña proved his class by making a crucial save. Peña was on hand again moments later to deny Mbappé, impressively saving the second attempt with his knee. In the 38th minute , Courtois again demonstrated his importance, saving a shot driven in by Andre Silva. The two keepers’ stellar performances were the key highlight of the opening 45 minutes, resulting in a scoreless first half.
The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second half. In the 53rd minute, Aleix Febas scored for Elche, giving the home side the lead. The goal was set up beautifully by German Valera’s superb backheel, which allowed Febas to dart behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and squeeze a shot across goal that found the net after hitting the bar.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso reacted immediately by making a triple substitution in the 57th minute to regain control and inject fresh energy into the attack. Vinícius Júnior replaced Rodrygo , Federico Valverde replaced Fran García , and Eduardo Camavinga replaced Dani Ceballos. Coinciding with these changes, Elche’s David Affengruber was shown the first Yellow Card of the match for a bad foul.
Alonso made a further change in the 64th minute, bringing on Gonzalo García for Arda Güler. Elche responded with a double substitution in the 66th minute, as Adrià Pedrosa replaced Héctor Fort and Martim Neto replaced Grady Diangana. The rising tension led to another caution a minute later, with Elche’s Víctor Chust receiving a Yellow Card.
Real Madrid’s persistent pressure eventually paid off in the 77th minute. From a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, Bellingham won an aerial challenge, and the ball dropped for Dean Huijsen, who scored his first La Liga goal for Real Madrid by poking home the equalizer.
Elche made three more changes in quick succession, aiming to defend their point and potentially snatch a winner. Álvaro Rodríguez replaced André Silva in the 79th minute. In the 83rd minute, Federico Redondo replaced Marc Aguado , and Léo Pétrot replaced Germán Valera.
The drama was far from over. In the 84th minute, substitute Álvaro Rodríguez restored Elche’s advantage. The former Madrid striker scored with a fine run and powerful drive from the edge of the area that caught out Courtois.
However, Real Madrid showed their resilience, immediately fighting back for the second time. In the 87th minute, Jude Bellingham secured the equalizer. After his initial effort was parried by Peña, Bellingham ran onto the ball, which Mbappé had managed to keep in play, to turn it home.
In the final minutes, Real Madrid made their last change, with Brahim Díaz replacing Álvaro Carreras. The game concluded with a flurry of cards. Elche’s Aleix Febas received a Yellow Card.
The night ended on a sour note for the hosts when Víctor Chust was shown a late dismissal. The match concluded in the 98th minute with the score locked at 2-2 with Kylian Mbappe receiving a yellow card right at the end for complaining about the referee blowing the final whistle too early. It was a result that saw Real Madrid secure a crucial point that took them back to the top of La Liga after battling twice from behind.
