Real Madrid came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw against Elche in La Liga, with Jude Bellingham scoring the late equalizer to help Los Blancos reclaim the top spot. The England midfielder was influential, netting his third goal in four league appearances. Elche finished with 10 men after Victor Chust's late red card.
The match at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero saw Elche take the lead early in the second half when Aleix Febas poked a shot past Thibaut Courtois, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage. Real Madrid responded quickly as Dean Huijsen prodded home Bellingham's knockdown to level the score at 1-1.
Elche regained the lead through Alvaro Rodriguez, who struck low from the edge of the box to make it 2-1. However, with three minutes remaining, Bellingham fired Kylian Mbappe's cut-back into the net, ensuring a share of the spoils at 2-2.
The game ended dramatically for Elche, reduced to 10 men in the seventh minute of added time when Victor Chust received a second yellow card for fouling Mbappe. Prior to the match, Elche were unbeaten in six league home games this season and boasted the best defensive home record, having conceded just three goals at home.
Real Madrid, under Xabi Alonso, had entered the fixture seeking to extend their lead over Barcelona to three points after a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool and a 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano. The point from this draw lifted Los Blancos above Barcelona, who had beaten Athletic Club 4-0 on Saturday, while Elche remained 11th in the table.
Starting lineups were: Elche - Pena, Port, Affengruber, Chust, Nunez, Aguado, German, Febas, Diang, Rafa Mir, Da Silva; Real Madrid - Courtois, Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Asencio, Carreras, Guler, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappe.
