Real Madrid Edge Elche with Late Carlos Espí Goal

Carlos Espí struck deep into stoppage time to drag Real Madrid over the line at Elche, finishing off a sweeping move from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé as the Spanish champions survived a collapse and escaped with a 3-2 win on Tuesday.

With Madrid reeling after blowing a two-goal lead, Bellingham seized the game near midfield. One long, elegant touch took him past his marker and straight into space. He slid the ball into Mbappé’s path, and the France star, in full stride on the break, squared unselfishly for Espí to tap in from close range. Relief for Madrid. Agony for Elche.

The late winner hauled Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table. Barcelona still hold first place on goal difference, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side can reclaim outright leadership when they host promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.

Madrid survive scare after cruising early

For an hour, this looked routine.

Madrid went ahead in the 25th minute when Matías Dituro turned the ball into his own net, handing the visitors a comfortable platform. Eight minutes later, Mbappé appeared to have settled it. Yan Diomande carved open the defense with a precise pass and Mbappé finished from close range to make it 2-0.

Then came the scare.

Mbappé stayed on the turf after scoring, clearly in pain, as Madrid’s medical staff rushed on. For a moment, the stadium held its breath. After treatment, he got back to his feet and continued, and his influence never really dipped.

The goal took him to seven in six league matches, putting him one clear of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández in the scoring charts. He had already hit a brace in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round, and he thought he had another on Tuesday, only for a first-half strike to be ruled out for offside.

Madrid’s dominance, though, began to fray.

Abiel Osorio dragged Elche back into the contest with a well-taken header in the 71st minute. The home side sensed doubt, pushed higher, and Madrid’s control slipped. Twelve minutes from time, Fer Niño pounced, striking the equalizer in the 83rd to send the crowd into uproar and leave the champions staring at an avoidable setback.

Just when the momentum seemed to belong entirely to Elche, Bellingham and Mbappé combined to rip it away. Espí applied the final touch, but the move belonged to Madrid’s two stars and to a team that, for all its wobble, still finds ways to win.

Madrid’s only league blemish this season remains the defeat at Real Betis two rounds ago. They are not flawless. They are, however, relentless.

Valencia respond after upheaval

In Vitoria, a bruised Valencia side finally punched back.

A 1-0 win at Alaves snapped a four-game losing run and ended the hosts’ unbeaten start to the season, offering a measure of calm after a turbulent weekend at Mestalla.

The slump had already cost coach Carlos Corberán his job, with soccer CEO Ron Gourlay also dismissed. The club moved quickly: Braulio Vázquez arrived as sporting director, and B-team coach Óscar Sánchez stepped up as interim manager.

The response on the pitch was tight, nervous, but effective.

Luis Rioja delivered the decisive moment in the 78th minute, striking the winner for a Valencia team that had been outscored 10-1 during its grim run. The players had been hammered by their own fans after a 5-0 home humiliation against Barcelona, labeled “mercenaries” as anger again turned toward long-resented owner Peter Lim.

One win will not heal that rift. It does, at least, give Sánchez and Vázquez something to build on.

Rayo make Butarque a temporary fortress

Rayo Vallecano, exiled from their own home, keep making themselves comfortable at someone else’s.

A 2-1 victory over Espanyol at Butarque Stadium delivered a third positive “home” result in Leganes’ ground, with Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa both on target in the first half.

Forced out of Vallecas Stadium because of unsafe conditions, Rayo have turned Butarque into an unlikely stronghold. They had already beaten Racing Santander 3-2 and drawn 1-1 with Alaves there. This win, which may be their last before returning to Vallecas, underlined their resilience amid disruption.

Espanyol refused to fold and were rewarded late, Roberto Fernández scoring in stoppage time for his sixth goal in six matches. Too late to change the outcome. Just enough to keep his own prolific start burning.

Madrid chasing Barcelona. Valencia fighting their own turmoil. Rayo thriving in borrowed surroundings. The league table is tight, the narratives even tighter — and the next round is already looming.