DROPPED POINTS: ELCHE STUNS MADRID; JUDE BELLINGHAM FORCES LATE DRAW
A late Jude Bellingham goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Real Madrid against Elche, extending their winless run to three matches. The result moves Madrid one point above Barcelona in the La Liga title race.
Real Madrid managed a 2-2 draw against Elche in the Spanish league this Sunday, thanks to an 87th-minute goal by Jude Bellingham. This keeps their winless streak at three games.
Bellingham's late goal saved Madrid after they had to come back from behind twice during the match.
This result puts Madrid just one point ahead of Barcelona. Barcelona had an effortless 4-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, marking their return to their updated Camp Nou Stadium.
Before this game, Madrid had a 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league and a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League group stage. Before these games, Xabi Alonso's team had a great run, winning 13 of 14 matches at the start of the season.
The team is still fighting, Alonso said. The results and how we play could be better. We're honest with ourselves, but the team's spirit is still strong. We need to keep going even when things get tough. This is Real Madrid, and we have to deal with criticism.
Elche took the lead with a goal from Aleix Febas in the 53rd minute, but Dean Huijsen scored his first goal for Madrid in the 78th minute to level the score. Álvaro Rodríguez put Elche ahead again in the 84th minute, but Bellingham scored three minutes later from inside the box.
Vinícius Júnior, a forward for Madrid, entered the game in the second half.
"We discussed it, like we often do," Alonso said about Vinícius. He gets it. He knew what his job was and the impact he could make. We've done this before. He's still committed. Today, we're not as happy as we'd like to be, but everyone is motivated and looking forward to getting back to winning and building positive momentum.
Madrid's next match is against Olympiakos on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage.
Elche's Víctor Chust was sent off late in injury time.
Elche is currently in 11th place and hasn't won in its last six league games.
An own goal by Domingos Duarte in the 82nd minute allowed Atletico Madrid to secure a tough 1-0 victory against Getafe, who are in seventh place.
This was Atletico's fifth straight win in all competitions since their 4-0 loss against Arsenal in the Champions League group stage last month. Diego Simeone's team has won five league games in a row.
Veteran midfielder Koke made his 700th appearance for Atletico.
Atletico's Marcos Llorente had to leave the game early, less than 15 minutes in, due to an injury.
Simeone couldn't use goalkeeper Jan Oblak because of an injury he picked up while playing for Slovenia during the international break. Forward Giuliano Simeone was also unavailable.
Real Betis, who are in fifth place, could only manage a 1-1 draw against Girona, who are fighting to avoid relegation.
Vladyslav Vanat put Girona in the lead in the 20th minute, but Valentín Gómez equalised for Betis in the 75th minute. Betis forward Antony was sent off in injury time for hitting an opponent in the head with his leg while attempting a bicycle kick.
The game between Oviedo, who are in last place, and Rayo Vallecano, who are in 13th place, ended in a 0-0 draw in Oviedo. Oviedo's Ilyas Chaira received a red card in the 52nd minute, and Rayo's Pathé Ciss was ejected in injury time.
Oviedo hasn't won in their last seven matches in all competitions, while Rayo hasn't won in their last three league games.
WHY DID REAL MADRID CHOOSE TO KEEP ENDRICK DESPITE MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST?
After a stellar loan at Lyon, Endrick will return to Real Madrid this summer alongside Jacobo Ramón to form a new youth core.
Real Madrid has zero plans to let Endrick leave this summer. That’s what we’re hearing, even with Arsenal and Chelsea knocking on their door. We’ve also got some updates on Jacobo Ramon’s future.
Endrick is finishing his loan at Lyon on a high note. He’s put up seven goals and seven assists in just 18 games, and people are excited about what he could do long-term.
The 19-year-old forward from Brazil wanted more game time after struggling for chances with Xabi Alonso in charge at Madrid, so he pushed for a loan. Now, with Alonso gone, Endrick’s focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s World Cup squad, and honestly, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s making a strong argument.
Big clubs are paying attention. Arsenal and Chelsea have both checked in recently to see if Madrid would be open to a deal for him this summer.
But Madrid’s answer? No chance. They’ve told both clubs straight up: Endrick’s coming back to the Bernabéu, and he’s in their first-team plans for next season.
Endrick’s on board with that, too. He wants to stay and fight for a spot, a real chance to prove himself as a regular in Madrid’s lineup.
Florentino Perez backs him all the way; he still believes Endrick is the best young talent out there. The club isn’t about to change its mind.
Endrick’s not the only Madrid youth getting attention from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been checking in about Jacobo Ramon, the young centre-back playing for Como in Italy right now.
Ramon’s been playing alongside Nico Paz under Cesc Fabregas and has done well. Even though he moved from Madrid to Como last summer, Madrid made sure to keep buy-back and sell-on clauses, so it’s almost like he’s still a Madrid player on loan.
Now, the plan is for Ramon to return to Madrid this summer with Endrick and Paz. The club’s looking to keep its young core together and build the future around them.
Lots of clubs are watching Ramon; more than six want to sign him. But honestly, Madrid’s stance is pretty clear: just like with Endrick, they aren’t budging.
So for Arsenal, Chelsea, and anyone else hoping to swoop in, the message is simple. Madrid is keeping their best young talents. They’re not letting them go.
HOW HECTOR BELLERIN’S 94TH-MINUTE STUNNER PUSHED REAL MADRID TO THE TITLE BRINK
Real Madrid's title hopes faded after a 1-1 draw with Real Betis. Discover the impact of Bellerin’s goal and Mbappe’s injury.
Real Madrid’s La Liga dreams took a big hit Friday night when Héctor Bellerín scored a 94th-minute equaliser, earning Real Betis a 1-1 draw. With that late goal, Madrid now sit eight points behind Barcelona, and if Barça win their next match, they could pull even further away with just a handful of games left.
Madrid actually started strong in Seville. Vinícius Jr took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake and put them ahead early in the 17th minute. After that, Madrid had control for large stretches, but it just didn’t translate into goals. Kylian Mbappé had one ruled out for offside, and Jude Bellingham, along with the rest of Madrid’s attack, missed some big chances. It all came back to haunt them when, in the dying seconds, Bellerín capitalised on the chaos at the back and smashed in the equaliser.
People are talking about Madrid’s defence and not in a good way. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet for ten straight league games. The last time the backline struggled this much in a single season was way back in 2003-04, when Carlos Queiroz was in charge. This run has cost Madrid dearly, with dropped points piling up right when the title race is heating up.
This result marks Madrid’s fifth league draw this season, another missed chance that opens the door for Hansi Flick’s relentless Barcelona to run away with the title. With their Champions League hopes already gone, Madrid are now staring at what could be just their fifth season without a trophy this century. About the only bright spot? Mbappé made his 100th appearance for the club, becoming just the tenth Frenchman to reach that milestone for Madrid. Still, even that was undercut; he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury about ten minutes from the end.
Honestly, the title now looks like a lost cause. If Barcelona beat Getafe, they will go 11 points clear. Madrid has two tough away fixtures next: Espanyol, then Barcelona in a do-or-die El Clásico that could finish off their title hopes for good. With their form stalling and Barça flying, Madrid now need a minor miracle and a huge Barcelona slip-up to avoid ending this season empty-handed.
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