Carlos Espí once again came to Real Madrid’s rescue, scoring in stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche at the Martínez Valero on Tuesday night.
The 21-year-old forward came off the bench in the 87th minute, with Real Madrid in danger of throwing away a two-goal advantage after Elche had fought back to level the contest.
But just minutes after entering the game, Espí produced another telling moment in his young Real Madrid career, finding the winning goal in the first minute of four minutes of added time to preserve all three points for José Mourinho’s side.
Real Madrid had appeared to be in complete control after taking a 2-0 lead before the interval. Arda Güler’s free-kick struck the crossbar before ricocheting off Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro and into the net for the opener.
Güler came close to adding another shortly afterwards when another effort from a set piece cannoned off the crossbar, underlining Madrid’s dominance during the opening period.
Kylian Mbappé then doubled the advantage before halftime, continuing his remarkable start to the LaLiga campaign with his seventh goal in 6 games.
The Frenchman finished off a move involving new signing Yan Diomande to give Madrid what appeared to be a comfortable cushion.
The game, however, changed dramatically after the break.
Elche Fight Back Before Espí Delivers Again
Elche refused to collapse and gradually took advantage of a drop in Madrid’s intensity.
Abiel Osorio pulled one back in the 71st minute with a header before substitute Fer Niño completed the comeback 12 minutes later, scoring with his first touch to make it 2-2.
With Madrid suddenly facing the possibility of dropping points, Mourinho turned to Espí, who had already established himself as an unlikely late-game hero this season.
The youngster had made headlines on his Real Madrid debut against Espanyol in August, scoring in the 90th minute to secure a 2-1 victory after being introduced from the bench.
Against Elche, he repeated the trick.
Espí was on the end of a lay off from Mbappé with the 21-year-old only needing to tap home into an empty net to fire Madrid back in front, leaving Elche with no time to respond and completing another remarkable late intervention.
The victory keeps Real Madrid firmly in the title race under Mourinho. Los Blancos have pecked Barcelona level on points though the Catalans have a game in hand.
Madrid have now demonstrated twice that they can rely on Espí when matches appear to be slipping away.
For a player who has so far been used primarily as a substitute, his impact has been significant. His two late goals have come in only brief appearances, giving Mourinho another option capable of changing games from the bench.
The victory also extends Madrid’s strong start to the 2026/27 LaLiga campaign, although the manner of the win will give Mourinho plenty to consider after his side surrendered a two-goal lead.
For Espí, however, the message is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Whenever Real Madrid need a late spark, the young forward has twice answered the call.
And once again, the super sub has saved Real Madrid.
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