Bellingham's 87th-Minute Heroics Save Real Madrid in 2-2 Elche Draw

With less than three minutes left, Jude Bellingham poked home a rebound from point-blank range, turning despair into relief for Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. The equalizer came at the 2025-2026 La Liga match Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero in Elche, Spain, on November 23, 2025, after Álvaro Rodríguez had just given home side Elche Club de Fútbol a 2-1 lead. The 2-2 draw didn’t just salvage a point—it kept Real Madrid one step ahead of FC Barcelona at the top of La Liga. It was messy. It was chaotic. And somehow, it was perfect.

A Match That Refused to Be Predictable

From the opening whistle, Elche played with the fire of a team fighting to prove they belonged. Their manager, Fran Escribá, had his side organized, compact, and dangerous on the counter. Real Madrid, by contrast, looked disjointed. Xabier Alonso Olano, the new manager stepping into the big shoes of Carlo Ancelotti, was still finding his rhythm. The visitors dominated possession but lacked cutting edge. Thibaut Courtois, 33, was their only consistent presence—making a vital stop in the 85th minute to deny Rafa Mir after a blunder by Héctor Fort.

Elche struck first in the 53rd minute. Tete Morente’s backheel found Pablo Febas, who didn’t hesitate—sliding it past Courtois with a low, crisp finish. The stadium erupted. Real Madrid, who had created half-chances but no clear openings, looked shell-shocked. Then came the equalizer. A corner, poorly cleared. The ball bounced off a defender, landed at the feet of Antonio Rüdiger, and he smashed it home. 1-1. The visitors breathed again.

Rodríguez’s Revenge—and the Twist No One Saw Coming

But the story wasn’t over. In the 84th minute, Álvaro Rodríguez, the 21-year-old striker who had come through Real Madrid Castilla and left in January 2025, turned on his former club. A clever flick from Rafa Mir, a sharp cut inside, and a left-footed curler that kissed the post before nestling into the net. The crowd lost their minds. Rodríguez sprinted to the corner, arms wide, tears in his eyes. This was more than a goal—it was redemption. He’d been overlooked at Madrid, deemed not quite good enough. Now he was the hero.

Real Madrid’s response? Panic. Or maybe just fatigue. They’d missed chances all night: Vinícius Júnior’s overhit cross, Arda Güler’s wild shot from 25 yards, Eduardo Camavinga’s wayward effort. Even the great Kylian Mbappé, signed last summer, looked off the pace, drifting wide instead of cutting inside. Elche had six shots on target. Real Madrid had eight—but only two found the net.

Bellingham’s Moment: When the World Stops

Then, in the 87th minute, the game changed. A long ball from Rüdiger. Mbappé headed it down. The ball bounced off the crossbar, then off the goalkeeper’s gloves, and into the path of Bellingham. No thought. No hesitation. Just a simple, instinctive poke. The net bulged. The stadium fell silent. The Real Madrid bench exploded. Bellingham, 22, didn’t celebrate wildly—he just looked up, mouth open, as if asking, “Did that just happen?”

It was his seventh goal of the season. And it was the kind that defines seasons.

Why This Draw Matters More Than It Seems

Real Madrid now sit at the top of La Liga with 28 points from 13 games—just one ahead of Barcelona, who played later that night. But this wasn’t about points. It was about character. After five straight wins, Real Madrid had looked invincible. Then came this match: sloppy, unconvincing, and nearly fatal. They didn’t play well. They didn’t deserve to win. But they didn’t lose.

For Elche, it was bittersweet. Their first point in six matches. Their first draw since promotion in 2024. They had the game won. They had the crowd behind them. They had the momentum. But football, as always, has a cruel sense of humor.

What’s Next? The Road to May

Real Madrid’s next match is away at Athletic Club on November 30, 2025. A tough fixture. A physical team. A test of resilience. For Elche, they host Real Sociedad next, still searching for their first win of the season. But after this performance? They’ve earned belief.

As for Bellingham? He’s becoming the kind of player who turns chaos into control. He doesn’t always score. But when it matters most—he finds a way.

Behind the Numbers

- Elche’s first point in six La Liga matches (five losses prior)
- Bellingham’s 7th goal of the season, all coming in the final 25 minutes of matches
- Real Madrid have now drawn four times this season—more than in the entire 2024-2025 campaign
- Álvaro Rodríguez’s first goal against Real Madrid since his January 2025 departure
- Courtois made 5 saves, including 2 in the final 10 minutes—his best performance since September