Real Madrid continued to pressure rivals Barcelona in the La Liga title race with a comfortable victory over struggling bottom-of-the-table Elche at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Antonio Rüdiger opened the scoring in the 39th minute, following up on a save by goalkeeper Di Toro from Valverde’s initial shot.
Just five minutes later, the score was 2-0. Valverde picked up the ball in midfield, exchanged passes with Fran García, controlled it with his right foot, and curled a shot into the top corner past Di Toro.
Dean Hoesen added a third goal with a well-placed header an hour into the game.
هدف خيالي عابر للقارات!
أردا غولر يطلق تسديدة مذهلة تهز شباك إلتشي ويضيف هدفاً رائعاً لريال مدريد #الدوري_الإسباني #ريال_مدريد_إلتشي pic.twitter.com/jWZcLPqMYE
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 14, 2026
Although Real Madrid conceded a late own goal when substitute Manuel Ángel deflected a cross into his own net, Los Blancos restored their three-goal lead in spectacular fashion when Arda Güler scored from the halfway line to seal a 4-1 victory.
Real Madrid didn’t have to exert much effort to secure the win, a crucial factor for Arbeloa and his players ahead of their upcoming Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Manchester City.
With this victory, Los Blancos have closed the gap on Barcelona to just one point, pending the Catalan side’s match against Sevilla on Sunday.
