Return of the King - Real Madrid wake up and crush everything in their path

You should never underestimate Real Madrid — and this proves it once again. Many believed the Royal Club’s season was already over, mainly because of the poor atmosphere within the team, but it suddenly seems that everything has changed. Three wins in a row in just eight days clearly show that Real Madrid are finding their form again. This time, the victim was Elche, who were swept aside with four goals conceded at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The first real warning came in the 11th minute when Tchouameni received a back pass near the edge of the box and attempted a shot from distance, but his effort drifted wide of the target.

Real Madrid then appealed for a penalty in the 23rd minute. Fran Garcia went down during a run into the Elche penalty area after a challenge from Adria Pedrosa, but referee Gil Manzano waved play on, seeing nothing illegal in the challenge.

'It had been a while since I enjoyed myself like this'

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 39th minute. Federico Valverde struck a powerful free kick that forced a save from Matias Dituro. After several rebounds inside the box, the ball fell to Antonio Rudiger, who reacted quickest and fired home to give Real Madrid the lead.

Just two minutes later, the hosts appealed for another penalty. Tchouameni went down inside the box while attempting to head the ball, claiming he had been struck by Redondo, but once again referee Gil Manzano was unmoved.

Real Madrid doubled their advantage in the 44th minute with a brilliant moment from Valverde. The Uruguayan received the ball at the edge of the area, cut inside to create space, and curled a stunning shot into the far corner to cap off an excellent first-half performance from the home side.

Real Madrid nearly extended their lead immediately after the break. In the 47th minute, Brahim Diaz found himself one-on-one with Chust, but his shot flew over the crossbar. Vinicius, who was arriving unmarked on the left side, showed his frustration after not receiving the pass.

The third goal finally arrived in the 66th minute. Yanez delivered a superb cross into the penalty area, where Dean Huijsen made a perfectly timed run and headed the ball past Matias Dituro to make it 3–0 for Real Madrid.

The home side had another golden chance in the 78th minute. Young striker Gonzalo Garcia broke through one-on-one with Dituro, but his shot was too central and the goalkeeper managed to stop it, while Pedro Bigas arrived just in time to disrupt the follow-up.

Elche managed to pull one back in the 85th minute in a rather fortunate way. After a dangerous giveaway by Camavinga, a back pass from Diang intended for Rafa Mir was deflected by Manuel Angel, with the ball hitting the post before going into the Madrid net for 3–1.

However, the final word belonged to Real Madrid in spectacular fashion. In the 89th minute, Arda Guler noticed Dituro off his line and unleashed an incredible left-footed strike from his own half. The ball bounced and rolled into the net, sending the Santiago Bernabeu into wild celebrations and sealing a memorable moment late in the match.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 28

Friday

Alaves - Villarreal 1-1 (1-0)

/Marin 41 og - Pepe 90+8/

Saturday

Girona - Ath. Bilbao 3-0 (2-0)

/Rincon 4, Ounahi 77, Echeverri 90+2/

Atl. Madrid - Getafe 1-0 (1-0)

/Molina 8/

Oviedo - Valencia 1-0 (1-0)

/Costas 30/

Real Madrid - Elche 4-1 (2-0)

/Rudiger 39, Valverde 44, Huijsen 66, Guler 89 - Moran 85 og/

Sunday

16.00: (2.40) Mallorca (3.20) Espanyol (3.35)

18.15: (1.27) Barcelona (6.25) Sevilla (9.50)

20.30: (2.25) Betis (3.50) Celta (3.40)

23.00: (1.95) Sociedad (3.60) Osasuna (4.15)

Monday

23.00: (1.70) Rayo Vallecano (4.00) Levante (5.30)

***odds are subject to change***