Real Madrid Crisis and Individual Performance Focus

MADRID — Real Madrid clung to the top of La Liga by the narrowest of margins after a late goal from Jude Bellingham salvaged a dramatic 2-2 draw against mid-table Elche on Sunday.

The point keeps Xabi Alonso’s side one point ahead of fierce rivals Barcelona, who thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday, but the result deepens concerns over Madrid’s recent form—the team has now failed to win any of their last three matches across all competitions.

Madrid twice had to come from behind in the entertaining second-half battle at the Martinez Valero stadium.

After Elche’s Aleix Febas opened the scoring (53′), Dean Huijsen levelled for the visitors (78′). Elche regained the lead (84′) through Alvaro Rodriguez, catching out goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a powerful drive.

However, three minutes later, Bellingham secured the point. Despite not being at his best, the English midfielder proved his game-changing ability, stabbing home from close range in the 87th minute after Kylian Mbappe’s cut-back. Bellingham was involved in both Madrid goals, having flicked the corner that led to Huijsen’s equaliser.

Coach Xabi Alonso made changes, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold his first league start since August. The English international, returning from injury, had a difficult night and was partly blamed for Febas’s goal after the midfielder darted in behind him to score.

However, Alexander-Arnold earned some redemption by contributing to the equalizer, whipping in the corner that led to Huijsen’s goal.

Alonso admitted his team is unhappy with the recent results: “It’s football… we’ve had some results we don’t like, but we know what we want. We want to improve.”Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid maintained the pressure, scraping a 1-0 win at Getafe thanks to an 82nd-minute own goal by Domingos Duarte, who turned in a cross under pressure from Antoine Griezmann. Atletico remain unbeaten in 12 consecutive league matches and trail Real Madrid by four points.