Real Madrid secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Elche in their La Liga clash at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, with Turkish international Arda Güler earning the Man of the Match award after scoring a magnificent free-kick.
The win sees Real Madrid climb to 15 points, sharing the top spot in the league with Barcelona, while Elche remains near the bottom with just two points, according to Fanatik.
Match Summary and Key Goals
The fixture, played on September 15, saw Real Madrid take an early lead with Arda Güler opening the scoring in the 25th minute. His “magnificent free-kick goal”, struck with his left foot, passed the wall, hit the far post, and found the net, giving Real Madrid a 1-0 advantage. Lucas Cepeda then extended Real Madrid’s lead to 2-0 in the 33rd minute.
Elche mounted a comeback in the second half, reducing the deficit to 2-1 in the 71st minute before Fer Nino, assisted by Josan, levelled the score at 2-2 in the 83rd minute. However, Real Madrid clinched the win in injury time, with Carlos Espi scoring the decisive goal following a pass from Kylian Mbappe, making it 3-2.
Arda Güler’s Influential Performance
Beyond his opening goal, Arda Güler was a significant presence for Real Madrid throughout the match. He also took a corner kick and attempted a long-range shot that went over the bar. Notably, Güler delivered a “magnificent through pass” to Vinicius Jr., who was unable to convert the opportunity. Towards the end of the game, Güler was substituted, making way for Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz, according to Fanatik.
Güler’s inclusion in the starting eleven, alongside Eduardo Camavinga, was part of manager Jose Mourinho’s tactical changes for the away fixture, which also saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella deployed in defence. Real Madrid had previously defeated Rayo Vallecano, a match where Güler’s contributions were also widely discussed.
Refereeing Controversy
The match was not without its controversial moments regarding refereeing decisions. Referee Jesus Gil Manzano’s performance was heavily criticised by the Spanish “Archivo VAR” platform, which gave him a low rating of 3 out of 10, as reported by Goal.com. Among the incidents highlighted was a request for a penalty by Elche in the 48th minute for a handball by Ibrahima Konate, which “Archivo VAR” deemed not a penalty due to his arm being close to his body in a natural position.
The platform also noted a “hard intervention” on Arda Güler by Elche’s Chust, for which no foul was given. “Archivo VAR” suggested that Chust should have been warned and that if it had been a “full collision,” it could have resulted in a direct red card. Other contentious moments included an elbow from Elche’s Osorio on Huijsen, which “Archivo VAR” stated deserved a yellow card but was not given.