Carlos Espi Scores Late Winner as Real Madrid Beat Elche 3-2
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche on Tuesday after substitute Carlos Espi scored in the 91st minute to rescue all three points for the Spanish giants.
The result moved Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings, with the defending champions scheduled to host Racing Santander on Wednesday.
Espi Delivers Again for Real Madrid
Espi once again proved decisive after coming off the bench.
The forward, who joined Real Madrid from Levante during the summer, finished at the back post in stoppage time after Elche had fought back from a two-goal deficit.
His latest goal came after he had also scored a late winner against Espanyol in Real Madrid’s opening league match.
Despite not starting a game for the club so far, Espi has already scored two important goals for Jose Mourinho’s team.
Real Madrid now have five victories from their opening six league matches.
Guler and Mbappe Put Madrid in Control
Real Madrid took the lead midway through the first half after Arda Guler’s free-kick struck the post and then deflected off Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro before crossing the goal line.
The goal was officially recorded as an own goal.
Eight minutes later, Real doubled their advantage.
New signing Yan Diomande created the opportunity with a cross from the right, allowing Kylian Mbappe to get past Dituro and score his eighth goal of the season across all competitions.
Mbappe briefly appeared to be injured after colliding with the Elche goalkeeper but recovered and continued playing.
Elche Fight Back
Despite trailing 2-0, Elche refused to give up.
Abiel Osorio reduced the deficit with a powerful header from Lucas Cepeda’s cross, beating Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The home side then completed the comeback in the 83rd minute.
Nino produced a low finish to make it 2-2 and put Real Madrid under pressure late in the match.
Espi Secures Last-Minute Victory
With the game heading toward a draw, Mourinho introduced Espi and Endrick in an attempt to find a winning goal.
The decision paid off almost immediately.
Mbappe found Espi with a pass toward the back post, where the substitute finished in the 91st minute to give Real Madrid a 3-2 victory.
Mourinho said he had taken risks with his late substitutions because a draw was not enough for his team.
He also expressed frustration that Real Madrid had allowed a match they controlled at 2-0 to become difficult.
Vinicius Misses Chances
Vinicius Junior had a frustrating evening in front of goal.
The Brazilian forward missed several opportunities, including an early effort after being set up by Guler and another shot from outside the box that went well wide.
He was eventually substituted during the second half.
Mourinho also made a change to his starting lineup by resting Jude Bellingham for the first time this season, with Guler taking his place.
Other La Liga Results
Elsewhere in La Liga on Tuesday, Valencia recorded their first victory of the season by beating Deportivo Alaves 1-0.
Luis Rioja scored the decisive goal with 12 minutes remaining.
The victory came shortly after Valencia dismissed coach Carlos Corberan on Sunday.
Rayo Vallecano also claimed a 2-1 win over Espanyol on Tuesday.
