Real Madrid Held by Elche, Atletico Grind Out Narrow Victory

Jude Bellingham netted a crucial late goal to earn Real Madrid a 2-2 stalemate against Elche on Sunday, maintaining their position at the summit of La Liga, one point clear of Barcelona.

Under Xabi Alonso, the team faced challenges from the mid-table side in a lively encounter where they twice fought back from deficits.

Aleix Febas put the home team in front before Dean Huijsen restored parity for the frontrunners, and Bellingham poked in from near range after Alvaro Rodriguez had powered Elche ahead once more.

Barcelona narrowed the gap by two points over the weekend, following their emphatic 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, marking their return to Camp Nou.

Atletico Madrid, sitting fourth, managed a tight 1-0 success at Getafe earlier that day, staying in contention with the sides ahead.

Real Madrid have now gone three games without a win in all tournaments.

"This is the nature of the sport, we were on a positive run but hit some unwanted outcomes, yet we remain focused on our goals," Alonso commented to the press.

"We are disappointed as victory is always the aim."

Alonso handed Trent Alexander-Arnold his first start since August and left Vinicius Junior on the bench.

The English player had been sidelined for several weeks with injury and is still adapting after his transfer from Liverpool last summer.

Alexander-Arnold bore some responsibility for Febas's strike, as the midfielder slipped past him to open the scoring in the second period.

Elche had put up a strong showing against Barcelona recently and posed problems for Madrid at the Martinez Valero ground.

Madrid's keeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off an excellent stop early to thwart Andre da Silva, set up by Hector Fort.

The striker had been part of an awkward moment earlier at Real Madrid's annual meeting, where the club mistakenly showed his image in a homage to ex-Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his sibling Andre Silva, both lost in a car accident in July.

Ex-Barcelona shot-stopper Inaki Pena thwarted Kylian Mbappe on two occasions during the opening half, representing Madrid's clearest opportunities.

Elche caught Madrid off guard soon after the break with a fluid sequence leading to the opener.

German Valera's clever backheel let Febas race beyond Alexander-Arnold and fire a low effort beyond Courtois, cannoning in off the upright.

Obvious Infraction

Alexander-Arnold made amends by aiding Madrid's leveller, winning a corner and delivering it for Bellingham to nod towards Huijsen, who hammered it home.

Elche regained the advantage shortly after as Rodriguez surprised Courtois with a fierce shot from distance.

Yet within three minutes, Madrid levelled again, Bellingham converting a cut-back from Mbappe.

The English star had drawn attention domestically earlier that week, displeased at his substitution by England manager Thomas Tuchel.

Bellingham was not at his peak versus Elche but played a key role in both goals, underlining his knack for decisive moments in the penalty area despite a subdued performance.

"We must rise to challenges," Alonso declared, confident the squad will regain momentum. "Improvement is our priority."

Elche expressed frustration over a collision involving Vinicius and keeper Pena prior to Bellingham's strike, which left the goalkeeper with a bloodied nose.

Pena described the incident as typical of the game, though his manager Eder Sarabia was incensed.

"That was an evident foul, no doubt," Sarabia stated, also lamenting the single point gained despite his side's commendable effort, even after Victor Chust's late red card reduced them to ten.

Diego Simeone's Atletico, four points behind Real Madrid, secured their slim triumph on a cold evening at Getafe's Coliseum.

Getafe, in seventh, are notoriously resilient on home soil and tested their local opponents.

Atletico skipper and record appearance holder Koke marked his 700th outing for the team, though it lacked standout moments.

Giacomo Raspadori redirected a delivery across the face of goal, and Duarte deflected it into his own net awkwardly under duress from Antoine Griezmann in the 82nd minute, providing the lone score.

Atletico have avoided defeat in their past 12 league fixtures, since losing to Espanyol on matchday one.

"The group is performing solidly, competing in the desired manner, and fortune, an element of the sport, favours us at times," Simeone remarked.