Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Tales Azzoni The Associated Press
In a dramatic turn of events in La Liga, Real Madrid managed to secure a 3-2 victory against Elche after squandering an early two-goal lead. Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive goal assisted by Jude Bellingham near the end of stoppage time, which moved Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona for first place. Coach José Mourinho praised his team's resilience in overcoming difficulties during the match. Meanwhile, there was controversy as some players wore shirts partially covering a message in support of Ceuta, leading to questions about their reasoning post-game.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Tuesday, Real Madrid secured a crucial 3-2 win against Elche in La Liga, despite squandering a two-goal advantage. The match turned around dramatically when Elche scored twice late in regulation to level the score at 2-2. In stoppage time, Carlos Espí's goal gave Real Madrid the victory after a key assist from Kylian Mbappé and a breakaway initiated by Jude Bellingham. This win keeps Real Madrid tied on points with league leader Barcelona, setting up an opportunity for Real to regain the top spot when they face promoted team Racing Santander on Wednesday. Coach José Mourinho praised his team's resilience in overcoming adversity during the match.
Written for “La Liga Soccer Results” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 12335 · logged 2026-09-16
MADRID (AP) — Carlos Espí scored in stoppage time after a nifty move by Jude Bellingham and an assist by Kylian Mbappé to help Real Madrid salvage a 3-2 win at Elche in the Spanish league after it relinquished a two-goal lead on Tuesday.
asserted
it → score → Tuesday
Bellingham used a neat long touch to get past an opponent near midfield and fed Mbappé in a breakaway into the area, and the France star quickly set up Espí’s close-range score to give Madrid the victory and move the Spanish powerhouse even on points with Barcelona.
asserted
star → use → Barcelona
The defending champion can regain the lead when it hosts promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.
asserted
it → defend → Wednesday
“We went from having it easy to losing control,” Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said.
asserted
Mourinho → go → control
“But in the difficulty of the moment, facing the pressure of losing points, the team reacted and won the match, which in the end is the most important thing.
asserted
which → face → end
The good thing is that nobody gets bored when Real Madrid plays.
asserted
Madrid → get → ?
Madrid had taken the lead against Elche with an own-goal by goalkeeper Matías Dituro in the 25th after the ball ricocheted off him following a well-struck free kick taken by Arda Guler.
asserted
ball → take → Guler
Mbappé added to the lead by scoring from close range after an assist by Yan Diomande in the 33rd.
asserted
Mbappé → add → 33rd
Abiel Osorio pulled the hosts closer with a header in the 71st and Fer Niño netted the equalizer in the 83rd.
asserted
Niño → pull → 83rd
There was a bit of a scare immediately after Mbappé scored as he stayed on the ground in visible pain, but he eventually returned to the field after being attended by Madrid doctors.
asserted
he → be → doctors
The goal moved him to seven goals in six league matches, one goal more than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández.
asserted
goal → move → Yamal
He had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime on Tuesday.
asserted
goal → have → Tuesday
Bellingham came into the match by replacing Guler in the 68th.
asserted
Bellingham → come → 68th
Mbappé and Vinícius avoid T-shirt
asserted
Mbappé → avoid → shirt
Players from both clubs wore t-shirts showing words of support for Ceuta as they came onto the field before the match.
asserted
they → wear → match
But Madrid players Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté wore the shirt only halfway down their chest, without pulling them down, and obscuring some of the words on it.
asserted
Mbappé → wear → it
Mbappé and Vinícius removed their shirts before they saluted the other players and the referees.
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they → remove → players
They had not immediately explained why they did that.
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they → explain → that
In July, tens of thousands of migrants breached the frontier between Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta and neighboring Morocco.
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thousands → breach → Ceuta
Valencia wins after shake-up
Valencia won 1-0 at Alaves to end a four-game losing streak and a winless start to the season.
asserted
Valencia → win → season
The string of poor results had led to the firing of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay this weekend.
asserted
string → lead → Corberán
It then appointed Braulio Vázquez as its new sporting director and named B-team coach Óscar Sánchez as an interim manager.
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It → appoint → manager
Luis Rioja scored a 78th-minute winner for Valencia, which had been outscored 10-1 so far.
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which → score → Valencia
Valencia fans had been protesting and called players “mercenaries” after the 5-0 home loss to Barcelona.
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fans → protest → Barcelona
They have long called for the exit of owner Peter Lim.
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They → call → Lim
Rayo Vallecano triumphs in Butarque again
Rayo Vallecano beat Espanyol 2-1 with first-half goals by Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa in what may have been its last match before returning home to Vallecas Stadium.
uncertain
what → triumph → Stadium
It was Rayo’s third home game played at Butarque Stadium — which belongs to second-tier club Leganes — because of unsafe conditions at Vallecas.
asserted
which → play → Vallecas
It also beat Racing Santander 3-2 and drew Alaves 1-1 at Butarque.
asserted
It → beat → Butarque
Roberto Fernández scored for Espanyol in the second half for his sixth goal in six matches.
asserted
Fernández → score → matches
The Aporia
