Real Madrid steadied themselves at the end of a turbulent week, salvaging a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday thanks to Jude Bellingham’s late strike – a moment that kept Los Blancos narrowly atop La Liga but extended their winless run to three matches.
Madrid twice had to chase the game, finally leveling in the 87th minute when Bellingham pounced inside the box, cancelling out Alvaro Rodriguez’s quickfire goal just three minutes earlier.
The result nudged Madrid one point ahead of Barcelona, who had returned to the renovated Camp Nou with a commanding 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao the previous night.
The draw follows a frustrating 0-0 stalemate at Rayo Vallecano and a narrow Champions League defeat to Liverpool – a sudden wobble for a side that had opened the season with 13 wins in 14 matches.
Coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged the dip but stressed the group’s resilience.
“The team continues to compete,” Alonso said. “We’re self-critical. The results and our game can improve, but the spirit remains strong. At Real Madrid, you have to live with criticism.”
Elche earned their moments too.
Aleix Febas broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, capping a sharp counterattack, before Dean Huijsen’s 78th-minute finish pulled Madrid level.
Rodriguez restored Elche’s lead shortly after, only for Bellingham to silence the stadium with his decisive late touch.
Elche finished the match with 10 men as Victor Chust was sent off deep into stoppage time.
Vinicius Júnior, introduced after the break, played his part in lifting Madrid’s tempo.
Alonso praised the forward’s willingness to embrace a rotational role. “He understands the plan,” the coach said. “He knew the impact he could bring. The energy is there – we just need a result to regain momentum.”
Real Madrid now turn their attention to Wednesday’s Champions League league-phase trip to Olympiakos.
Elche, sitting 11th, remain winless in six straight league matches.
Atletico Madrid kept their surge alive with a gritty 1-0 win at seventh-placed Getafe, secured when Domingos Duarte inadvertently flicked the ball into his own net in the 82nd minute.
It marked Atletico’s fifth straight victory in all competitions since their humbling 4-0 defeat at Arsenal in the Champions League.
The afternoon carried historic weight for captain Koke, who made his 700th appearance for the club.
Diego Simeone again managed without injured goalkeeper Jan Oblak and forward Giuliano Simeone. Marcos Llorente also exited early with an injury.
Fifth-placed Real Betis could manage only a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Girona.
Vladyslav Vanat opened the scoring before Valentin Gomez equalized late. Betis forward Antony was shown a late red card after catching an opponent in the head while attempting a bicycle kick.
Bottom-placed Real Oviedo held Rayo Vallecano to a 0-0 draw in a tense affair marked by two red cards – Ilyas Chaira for Oviedo and Pathé Ciss for Rayo.
Oviedo are winless in seven matches in all competitions, while Rayo have stalled in their last three league outings.
In Italy, Christian Pulisic delivered the winner as AC Milan claimed a crucial 1-0 derby victory over Inter. Pulisic tapped in after Yann Sommer’s save spilled into his path, while Mike Maignan’s superb penalty stop on Hakan Çalhanoğlu preserved the lead.
The win lifted Milan to second place, with Inter dropping to fourth.
Roma stayed top with a 3-1 win over Cremonese, powered by Matias Soulé’s opener and Evan Ferguson’s first goal for the club.
Wesley added Roma’s third, with Francesco Folino scoring late for Cremonese.
Lazio rebounded from their pre-break defeat to Inter, beating Lecce 2-0 behind goals from Matteo Guendouzi and Tijjani Noslin. Verona remain bottom after a 2-1 loss to Parma, where Mateo Pellegrino struck twice.
In France, Lyon missed a chance to climb into Ligue 1’s top four after a goalless draw with bottom-placed Auxerre.
Brest finally snapped a winless run dating to September with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Metz, sealed by Romain Del Castillo’s 100th-minute penalty.
Nantes rescued a 1-1 draw at Lorient thanks to Chidozie Awaziem’s stoppage-time header, while Yassin Belkhdim fired Angers past Toulouse, 1-0.
