Bellingham strikes late as Real Madrid reclaim La Liga summit
Bellingham’s goal and assist help Xabi Alonso’s side regain La Liga’s top spot
- Jude Bellingham scored late and provided an assist to help Real Madrid reclaim the top spot in La Liga.
- Elche led twice in the match and came close to their first win over Madrid since 1978.
- Víctor Chust’s late red card reduced Elche to 10 men as Madrid held on for a dramatic draw.
Jude Bellingham once again proved decisive for Real Madrid, scoring a late equaliser and assisting another goal as the Spanish giants climbed back to the top of La Liga with a hard-fought draw against Elche.
The England midfielder swept home a cut-back from Kylian Mbappé in the 87th minute, rescuing a point for Xabi Alonso’s men after an eventful contest in which they fell behind twice. The strike was Bellingham’s third in his past four league matches.
Elche took the lead early in the second half through Aleix Febas, who nudged the ball past Thibaut Courtois and off the post. Madrid drew level when Dean Huijsen reacted quickest to Bellingham’s knockdown with 12 minutes left.
But the home side responded almost immediately as Álvaro Rodríguez drilled in a low shot from the edge of the area to restore their advantage. Elche’s hopes of a rare victory over Madrid—something they last achieved in 1978—were dashed when Bellingham struck moments before full-time.
Elche ended the match with 10 men after Víctor Chust was dismissed in stoppage time for a second booking following a foul on Mbappé.
The draw was enough to lift Madrid above Barcelona, who returned to Spotify Camp Nou with a 4-0 win over Athletic Club on Saturday. Elche sit 11th in the standings.
Madrid created several chances in a lively first half. Mbappé twice tested goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, while Trent Alexander-Arnold—playing at right wing-back—nearly set up the Frenchman for another opportunity. Elche threatened too, with Rafa Mir and André da Silva both forcing saves from Courtois.
The second half continued in the same end-to-end fashion. Rodrygo drew a strong fingertip save from Peña, while Courtois denied Febas again before the midfielder eventually found the opener.
Bellingham, who also scored in wins over Barcelona and Valencia before the international break, ensured Madrid escaped with a point.
Before kick-off, Real Madrid issued an apology for mistakenly using an image of Elche forward André da Silva in a tribute video meant for Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva.
Next up for Alonso’s side is a Champions League trip to Olympiacos on Wednesday, 26 November (20:00 GMT).
