Real Madrid visit Elche on Tuesday aiming to close the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona, but the original account overstates Elche’s struggles. Elche are not 19th or winless, and their recent record against Madrid is more competitive than the claim of 15 defeats in 19 meetings suggests.
José Mourinho’s side travel to the Martínez Valero for their Matchday 6 fixture, with kick-off scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CEST. Madrid come into the match after a 4–1 victory over Rayo Vallecano and will be looking to secure a third consecutive win in all competitions before Sunday’s Madrid derby against Atlético.
Barcelona currently lead La Liga after winning their first five matches, while Real Madrid are three points behind with 12 points from five games. A victory would draw Madrid level on points at the summit, although Barcelona would remain ahead on goal difference.
Mourinho has named a strong 24-man squad, including Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy remain unavailable through injury.
Elche have made a more encouraging start than the supplied report suggests. They are eighth in the table with eight points from five matches and remain unbeaten, having collected two wins and two draws before losing 3–1 to Athletic Club in their last outing. That result ended their unbeaten start, but it does not place them in relegation trouble.
Their recent meeting with Real Madrid also offers some reason for confidence. Elche held Madrid to a 2–2 draw at the Martínez Valero in January 2025, with Pere Milla scoring twice. Madrid won the reverse fixture 4–0 at the Bernabéu, but Elche’s performance at home showed they can make the matchup difficult.
The hosts are expected to rely on a compact structure and quick transitions, with goalkeeper Matías Dituro protected by a defence likely to include Buba Sangaré, Federico Redondo, Víctor Chust and Roy Revivo. Gonzalo Villar, Thomas Lemar, Germán Valera and Fer Niño are among the attacking options available to Elche.
Madrid remain favourites because of their individual quality, recent form and attacking resources. Yet with Barcelona setting the early pace and Atlético awaiting at the weekend, Mourinho’s challenge is to rotate intelligently without allowing a disciplined Elche side to turn the match into a difficult evening. A controlled away performance would keep Madrid close to the leaders and provide the best possible platform for the derby.
