Elche Scare Real Madrid, Bellingham Secures Draw

Real Madrid rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday afternoon after coming from behind twice in a thrilling LaLiga encounter. While the result stretched Los Blancos’ winless run in all competitions to three matches, it was just enough to reclaim top spot in the league table with 32 points, one ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona.

The first half was largely uninspiring from Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who struggled to break down a well-organized Elche side. Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo tried to inject some energy into Real’s attack, but clear-cut chances were few and far between. Elche, buoyed by their home supporters at the Estadio Martínez Valero, grew in confidence as the half went on and looked increasingly dangerous on the counterattack.

Their persistence paid off early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, German Varela produced a brilliant backheel assist to find Aleix Febas inside the box.

It took some time for Real Madrid to react, but young defender Dean Huijsen eventually found an equalizer in the 81st minute. The 19-year-old reacted quickest to a loose ball following a corner, poking it into the net from close range to level the score. However, Elche refused to be intimidated and hit back almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Alvaro Rodriguez restored their advantage with a composed finish, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner beyond Courtois’ reach.

It looked as if Elche were set to pull off a famous victory — until Jude Bellingham produced another moment of brilliance to rescue Madrid once again. In the 88th minute, the England star curled a stunning right-footed strike from the edge of the box into the far corner, silencing the home crowd. It was his 11th goal in LaLiga this season, further underlining his growing importance to Ancelotti’s side.

Elche persevered to earn a well-earned point while Real pushed for a late winner.

Final Score: Elche 2–2 Real Madrid.