Real Madrid beat Elche to pressure Barcelona for La Liga title

Federico Valverde scores his fifth goal in three games as Real Madrid beat Elche to move one point behind Barcelona.

Federico Valverde hit the back of the net, and the headlines, once again for Real Madrid as they beat Elche 4-1 in La Liga, but it was Arda Guler’s last-gasp strike from inside his own half that captured imaginations.

Midfielder Valvrder netted his fifth goal in three games for Los Blancos, having scored a hat-trick in midweek against Manchester City, with a curling effort from the edge of the box just before half-time on Saturday.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Three members of Iranian women’s football team pull Australia asylum bids
• list 2 of 4Indian-owned Sunrisers face backlash after signing Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed
• list 3 of 4‘Just the beginning’: Antonelli becomes youngest F1 Grand Prix pole sitter
• list 4 of 4Iran team hit back at Trump over FIFA World Cup exclusion threat

It doubled his side’s lead after Antonio Rudiger volleyed home the opener in the 39th minute, following a scramble in the box from a Real corner.

Dean Huijsen was the unlikely player furthest forward to head home Real’s third in the 66th minute, but the defender was left unmarked in the box, where he remained after another corner that Elche had effectively failed to clear.

Even a late own goal by Manuel Angel could not dampen Los Blancos’ spirits, especially when Arda Guler went on to net what will surely be the goal of the season from inside his own half.

The 21-year-old Turkiye midfielder spotted Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro off his line and did not hesitate to launch a long lob with his left foot that sailed over the hapless keeper and bounced once before settling into the net.

The Santiago Bernabeu stadium erupted in applause for the memorable goal that came with the beyond-doubt victory in the 89th minute.

Güler joined Madrid from Fenerbahce in 2023. He has scored four goals this season, as he has gained more playing time after the exit of veteran Luka Modric.

The win moves Real to within a point of leaders Barcelona, who can restore their four-point advantage when they play Sevilla on Sunday.

The game at Bernabeu Stadium had been a nervy affair until Rudiger’s opener settled the Madrid crowd.

The victory marks a third straight win for Real, who had lost two on the bounce in the league prior to the current run, and parted company with their coach Xabi Alonso in January.

Interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa, also a former Real player, could not have asked for a better week, with one of the best performances of the season produced in Wednesday’s win against City in the UEFA Champions League.

Arbeloa’s side take a 3-0 advantage to Manchester for the return leg on Tuesday, and with the La Liga race tightening, what was looking like a nightmare season could still end with the two most coveted titles for Madrid.

Elche, who were promoted to La Liga last season, remain mired in a relegation scrap, just a point above third-bottom Mallorca, who entertain Espanyol on Sunday.