Second-placed Real Madrid will look to build on their recent win when they hit the road to face a struggling Elche outfit.
Winless after their first five league games, Elche will be desperate to secure all three points against Real Madrid at Estadio Martinez Valero on Tuesday. However, taking down the title contenders, who have had a promising start to the campaign, won’t be easy.
The home team are 19th on the table with two points in their five outings. While they started the season with a draw, Elche lost their three subsequent games against Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Real Sociedad before playing out a 1-1 draw against Athletic Club.
While the results have not gone their way, Los Franjiverdes have shown a lot of promise, and a better defensive performance could actually give them a chance of taking something from this home game.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid started the season with three straight wins in La Liga, but they suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Betis on Matchday 4. Despite dominating the game, they ended up on the losing side.
The Merengues have since bounced back with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League and have backed it up with a 4-1 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano. The team in white will be confident about building on these results and keeping the pressure on leaders Barcelona. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Elche
Yago Santiago (knee) has made substantial progress, and he is closing in on a return, but this fixture is a touch too early for him. Summer signing Kevin Lomonaco could finally be a part of the matchday squad. Elsewhere, Elche do not have any fresh injuries to worry about, which means Martin Anselmi almost a full squad to choose from.
Elche are expected to line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Matias Dituro starting between the sticks. Buba Sangare and Roy Revivo should feature as the full-backs, while Federico Redondo is likely to pair up with Victor Chust in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, German Valera and Tete Morente should take charge on the flanks, providing support on both ends. Javi Morcillo and Gonzalo Villar should form the central midfield pairing; the duo will look to ensure Real Madrid midfielders do not enjoy time on the ball.
Thomas Lemar could operate just behind Fer Nino, who will lead the line for Elche against Real Madrid on Tuesday. The two attacking players will look to combine effectively and create problems for the opposition defence.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Dituro; Sangare, Redondo, Chust, Revivo; Valera, Morcillo, Villar, Morente; Lemar; Nino
Real Madrid
While Raul Asencio, Thiago Pitarch, and Endrick are back in the mix, the team in white remain without the services of Eder Militao (thigh), Ferland Mendy (ligament), and Rodrygo (cruciate ligament).
Real Madrid are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Thibaut Courtois starting between the sticks. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella should feature as the full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate is likely to line up alongside Dean Huijsen in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni should form the double pivot. The duo will look to protect the backline while also helping Real Madrid control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior should take charge on the flanks, while Jude Bellingham could take up the number ten role behind Kylian Mbappe, who will continue to lead the line for Real Madrid when they take on Elche this midweek.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
Key Stats
- Kylian Mbappe has six goals in his five La Liga outings thus far. He is the first player to score six in five games since Karim Benzema in 2021/22.
- Real Madrid have dominated this fixture historically, securing 36 wins from their 55 meetings with Elche, while 13 encounters have ended level.
- Elche have only beaten real Madrid six times, with their most recent victory coming in a 3-1 win back in 1978.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 19 meetings with Elche across all competitions.
- The two sides drew 2-2 in Elche in their first La Liga meeting last season, before Real Madrid claimed a 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has made a very promising start to the season under new boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager has ensured that the English international gets a lot more freedom going forward, and it has worked wonders for them.
In just five league outings, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder has three goals and three assists. He has been one of their most influential players in the initial phase, and Jose Mourinho will hope his star midfielder continues to produce such numbers.
Prediction
Elche 0-4 Real Madrid
Elche have shown enough promise despite their poor start to the campaign, but facing Real Madrid will be a completely different challenge. The hosts could make things difficult if they remain organised defensively, but their inability to secure a league win so far makes it difficult to see them getting anything from this contest.
Real Madrid have bounced back strongly from their defeat to Real Betis and will head into this fixture with plenty of confidence after consecutive wins over Inter Milan and Rayo Vallecano. Mourinho’s men have superior quality across the pitch and should be able to dominate possession and create plenty of chances.
Elche could struggle to contain the visitors’ attacking options, and Real Madrid should eventually secure a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the away team.
