Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid was held to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Elche on Sunday in a La Liga match that saw the league leaders drop crucial points. The result, played at Elche’s stadium, leaves the door open for Barcelona to close the gap at the top of the table.
Elche proved a difficult opponent, twice taking the lead. Alex Febas opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, stunning the visiting side. Later, Alvaro Rodriguez put Elche ahead again in the 84th minute, threatening a major upset.
Real Madrid, however, responded on both occasions. Dien Huijsen pulled one back in the 78th minute, injecting hope into the Madrid camp. Then, Jude Bellingham secured a vital equalizer in the 87th minute, salvaging a point for his team.
Despite Elche defender Victor Chust receiving a red card in the 97th minute, Real Madrid were unable to capitalize on the numerical advantage in the dying moments of the game to secure a winning goal.
The draw, Real Madrid’s second consecutive stalemate, leaves them with 32 points at the top of La Liga. However, their lead has been cut to a single point, with Barcelona breathing down their necks in second place. Elche, meanwhile, move to 16 points, placing them in 11th position in the league standings.
The result will undoubtedly raise questions about Real Madrid’s consistency as they head into a crucial part of the season.
