Real Madrid saved by Bellingham, referee against brave Elche

Elche deserved to win against a mediocre Real Madrid last night, but the individual quality and (some would say) the referee did their part, salvaging a 2-2 draw for the Madridistas.

After a goalless first half, the home team was in front twice, thanks to goals from Aleix Febas and Alvaro Rodriguez, but Dean Huijsen and Jude Bellingham managed to nullify both leads.

The final minutes were particularly exciting, as Elche's second goal was scored in the 84th minute, while Madrid's two equalizers were scored in the 78th and 87th minutes.

Madrid's equalizers will be especially interesting to the public in Spain, who said to Barcelona? - as Bellingham appeared to have handballed before Huijsen's goal.

Further, Catalan loanee in Elche's goal, Inaki Pena, could have checked out the situation and chose to foul (and bleeding?!) before the Englishman's goal, but was still stood, despite the VAR check.

Either way, Elche won a massive point, although they could have snatched all three, while Los Blancos avoided a defeat and kept a slight one-point edge in La Liga over the second-placed Barca.

If anyone thought Elche, who were undefeated at their Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero in the six La Liga games, would give up without a fight against the mighty Real Madrid, they could not be more wrong.

Each side wasted two excellent chances, or better said, each custodian shone twice.

Thibaut Courtois saved Los Blancos after Rafa Mir and Andre Silva's promising attempts, while Barcelona loanee at Elche, Inaki Pena, stopped Kylian Mbappe twice in the span of three minutes (30th and 33rd).

It was only a matter of time before a custodian would not come to his crew's rescue, and it at last happened in the 53rd minute, when Madrid's defence collapsed! Trent Alexander-Arnold was poorly positioned, German Valera slipped an extraordinary backheel pass for Aleix Febas, who outsmarted Courtois and stunned the La Liga table-toppers!

Minutes after the home crew's opener, the match was over for Madrid's Rodrygo, Fran Garcia, and Dani Ceballos, whom Xabi Alonso replaced with Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga, trying to mix things up and wake his lads up.

Shortly afterwards, Gonzalo Garcia entered the game for Arda Guler, as Los Blancos had to go all-out attack.

And the brave approach paid off in the 78th minute, when Dean Huijsen exploited Elche's defensive oversight, seized the chance, and levelled following a corner kick, leaving Madrid enough time to chase a late winner.

However, it was only the beginning of the rollercoaster in the last ten minutes of the clash, as Elche once again took the lead in the 84th minute over Madrid's child Alvaro Rodriguez, but Los Franjiverdes new advantage lasted for only three minutes since Jude Bellingham managed to level after a melee in the box and - for some, very obvious - foul on Elche's keeper Pena.

Still, the equalizer stood, Elche lost a well-deserved win, Los Blancos avoided their second La Liga defeat of the season, and kept the top of the table with a one-point edge over Barcelona.

LA LIGA - ROUND 13

Friday

Valencia - Levante 1-0 (0-0)

/Duro 79/

Saturday

Alaves - Celta 0-1 (0-0)

/Aspas 55 pen/

Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao 4-0 (2-0)

/Lewandowski 4, Torres 45+3, 90, Lopez 48/

Osasuna - Real Sociedad 1-3 (1-0)

/Catena 42 - Mendez 53, Guedes 59, Barrenetxea 82/

Villarreal - Mallorca 2-1 (1-1)

/Moreno 6, Oluwaseyi 83 - Costa 8/

Sunday

Oviedo - Rayo Vallecano 0-0

Betis - Girona 1-1 (0-1)

/Gomez 75 - Vanat 20/

Getafe - Atletico Madrid 0-1 (0-0)

/Duarte 82 og/

Elche - Real Madrid 2-2 (0-0)

/Febas 53, Rodriguez 84 - Huijsen 78, Bellingham 87/

Monday

23.00: (2.15) Espanyol (3.45) Sevilla (3.70)

***odds are subject to change***