Real Madrid hosts Elche

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid will travel to face Elche, which has collected just two points from its first five matches, in a bid to secure a victory that would keep them close to rivals Barcelona in the opening round of the sixth matchday of the Spanish football league, tomorrow Tuesday.

The team managed by Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho returned to winning ways after their 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, with victories over Italian side Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League, followed by a 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round, featuring a brace from French star Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid currently sit second with 12 points, three points behind the Catalan club.

Mourinho stated that “the win was very important, especially after our loss in the last La Liga match.”

Real Madrid face a side that has not defeated the royal club for a very long time, specifically since March 1978, when they won 3-1 in the league, before failing to secure a victory in 19 consecutive matches across all competitions.

However, Real Madrid 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 on the verge of defeat, only to be rescued by Englishman Jude Bellingham with a last-gasp goal.

In another match, Deportivo Alaves hope to continue their impressive start, having collected 10 points from their first five games to sit third on goal difference ahead of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, as they host “wounded” Valencia, which has managed only one point so far. This poor form led to the dismissal of their manager Carlos Corberan, who had been in charge since December 2024, and their British chief executive Ron Gorley.

In a third fixture, Rayo Vallecano will face Espanyol.