Real Madrid survived a dramatic second-half collapse before Carlos Espí struck in stoppage time to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory over Elche in LaLiga on Tuesday night.
Los Blancos appeared to be cruising after taking a two-goal lead at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, but Elche produced a spirited second-half comeback to level the score before Espí delivered the decisive moment in the 91st minute.
The victory moved Real Madrid onto 15 points from six matches, level with Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table, although Barcelona had a game in hand. Elche remained at the bottom with two points.
Real Madrid started brightly and created several opportunities before eventually breaking the deadlock in the 25th minute.
Arda Güler’s dangerous free-kick caused problems for Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro. The ball struck the post before ricocheting off Dituro and finding its way into the net, with the goalkeeper credited with an own goal. The effort gave Madrid a 1-0 advantage and rewarded their early attacking pressure.
Madrid continued to threaten and doubled their advantage eight minutes later.
New signing Yan Diomande, the Ivory Coast international who joined Real Madrid from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in August, showed exactly why the club invested heavily in him. The young winger delivered a low cross into the penalty area, allowing Kylian Mbappé to finish from close range in the 33rd minute.
It was Diomande’s first assist for Real Madrid and an important contribution from a player making his mark in his new surroundings. Diomande joined Madrid after an impressive 2025/26 campaign with Leipzig, where he recorded 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
Mbappé’s goal also continued his outstanding scoring run. The French forward reached seven goals in six LaLiga matches, moving ahead of several of the division’s leading scorers at the time. However, there was a worrying moment shortly after his goal when he went down in apparent pain. Madrid’s medical staff attended to him before he was able to continue.
Madrid appeared to have a third goal shortly before halftime when Mbappé found the net again, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Elche therefore went into the interval two goals behind but still had a chance to recover.
The home side returned from the break with a completely different level of intensity. Real Madrid struggled to maintain the control they had enjoyed during the opening 45 minutes, while Elche pushed forward in search of a way back into the contest.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 71st minute.
Lucas Cepeda delivered a cross into the area, and Abiel Osorio rose to head the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and Elche began to believe they could complete an unlikely comeback.
The equaliser arrived in the 83rd minute.
José Antonio Ferrández Pomares supplied the assist for Fernando Niño, who finished into the far corner to make it 2-2. What had looked like a comfortable Real Madrid victory had turned into a tense contest with the visitors desperately searching for a response.
Real Madrid eventually found it through Espí.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Jude Bellingham produced a clever piece of play in midfield before the ball reached Mbappé. The Frenchman then delivered the decisive assist, setting up substitute Carlos Espí for a close-range finish that restored Madrid’s lead at 3-2.
The late winner completed another dramatic contribution from Espí, who has already shown an ability to make an impact from the bench.
Real Madrid finished the game with 20 shots compared with Elche’s 11, although the hosts enjoyed 56 percent possession. Madrid also registered five corners to Elche’s two. The statistics reflected a match in which Real Madrid created more attacking opportunities but struggled badly to control the game after halftime.
The result gives José Mourinho’s side three valuable points ahead of the Madrid derby, but the dramatic second-half collapse will provide plenty for the coaching staff to analyse.
For Diomande, however, the night provided another encouraging step in his Real Madrid career. After arriving from Germany as one of Europe’s exciting young attacking talents, his first assist for the club helped set Madrid on their way to a victory that ultimately required a stoppage-time rescue.
