The Crown Prince to Eliminate Elche in the League

Real Madrid will face Elche in the sixth round of La Liga, seeking a fifth league victory and continuing to pressure league leaders Barcelona. The “Royal Club” will travel to Elche on Tuesday, a side that has collected just two points from its first five matches, with the aim of securing all three points.

Manager José Mourinho’s side returned to winning ways after a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis, with victories over Inter 1-0 in the Champions League and Rayo Vallecano 4-1 in the previous league round, featuring a brace from French striker Kylian Mbappé.

Mourinho, who is returning to a second managerial stint with the Madrid club after it went trophyless last season, said, “The win was very important, especially after our loss in the last La Liga match.” He added, “We decided the game in the first half (leading 3-0), which is not easy, given the work we put in after the Champions League match—not just physically, but mentally as well.”

Real Madrid faces a team that has not beaten them in a very long time, specifically since March 1978, when they won 3-1 in the league, after which Elche failed to secure a victory in 19 consecutive matches across all competitions.

However, Real must avoid repeating the scenario of their last visit to the opponent’s stadium, where they settled for a 2-2 draw last season after appearing headed for defeat, only to be rescued by an Englishman, Jude Bellingham, with a last-gasp goal.

Meanwhile, Alavés hopes to continue their impressive start, having collected 10 points from their first five matches to sit third on goal difference ahead of Atlético Madrid and Sevilla, when they host Valencia. The visitors have managed only a single point so far, prompting them to sack manager Carlos Corberán, who had been in charge since December 2024, and British executive director Ron Gourlay.

Oscar Sánchez, coach of the reserve team, will take charge on an interim basis until a new manager is appointed.