Real Madrid Chase Barcelona as Elche Carry a 19-Game Winless Streak

Real Madrid travel to the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Tuesday to face winless Elche, knowing a victory would move them to 15 points and level them with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings after six matches.

Elche have two points from five matches under manager Martin Anselmi. Their latest result was a 1-1 draw away to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, which doubled their season point total after a difficult opening month.

Vinicius Junior has driven Real Madrid’s attack with six goals and three assists in league competition this season. His six goals match the totals of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, as well as Rayo Vallecano forward Sergio Camello, for the top-flight lead. Vinicius Junior’s three assists place him second in La Liga behind Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon, who has four.

Elche’s home defensive record includes a 5-0 loss to Barcelona and a 3-2 defeat against Real Sociedad. They have conceded 13 goals in five matches, with only Rayo Vallecano allowing more after giving up 14. Winger Tete Morente has supplied two assists for Elche, making him one of 12 players outside Real Madrid and Barcelona with multiple assists in the league this season.

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid arrive after consecutive wins in domestic and European competition. Following their 1-0 away defeat against Real Betis on Sept. 4, Madrid beat Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the Champions League before taking three league points against Rayo Vallecano.

Elche have not defeated Real Madrid in their last 19 meetings. Their most recent victory over the capital club came in March 1978, and all six of Elche’s victories against Real Madrid have been achieved at home. Elche have nevertheless scored in nine of their last 11 meetings with Madrid in all competitions since February 2015. The only exceptions were the 2022–23 season’s 3-0 home defeat and 4-0 away defeat.

The corresponding fixture last season ended 2-2 after Elche took the lead twice at home. Aleix Febas and Alvaro Rodriguez scored for Elche, while Dean Huijsen and Jude Bellingham replied for Real Madrid. Madrid have scored at least twice in each of their last eight encounters with Elche.

That scoring run includes the Copa del Rey round-of-16 tie in January 2022. Gonzalo Verdu put Elche ahead, but extra-time goals from Isco and Eden Hazard completed a comeback victory for Madrid. Ferenc Puskas remains the fixture’s all-time leading scorer, with 17 goals against Elche during his Real Madrid tenure between 1958 and 1966.

Kickoff is scheduled for 20:30 BST (15:30 ET / 12:30 PT). In the United Kingdom, Premier Sports 1 will broadcast the match live, while digital streaming will be available through the Premier Sports app. Premier Sports subscription options include an annual pass for £120, a 12-month contract at £11.99 per month, or a flexible monthly plan costing £16.99 with a 30-day cancellation notice. International broadcast availability varies by region.