Mourinho says Real Madrid matches never become boring after late Elche win

Jose Mourinho says nobody gets bored watching Real Madrid after his side survived a late fightback to beat Elche 3-2 in La Liga.

Real Madrid appeared to be in control after taking a two-goal lead, but Elche levelled in the second half before Kylian Mbappe secured victory in stoppage time. The result moved Real Madrid to 15 points from six matches, leaving them second behind leaders Barcelona on goal difference.

“There are matches that seem to be settled, and in the end they are,” Mourinho said after the game. “There are also matches in which we create chances to finish the contest but do not take them.”

He added: “After missing those opportunities, we move from a comfortable position to losing control.”

“The positive thing is that, under the pressure of difficulty and the risk of dropping points, the team manages to win. In the end, that is the most important thing.”

Real Madrid took the lead in the 25th minute when Arda Guler scored with a powerful direct free-kick. Mbappe then doubled the advantage eight minutes later, following up a cross from Diomande as the hosts went into half-time 2-0 ahead.

Elche responded after the interval, with Abiel Osorio reducing the deficit in the 71st minute before Wier Ninho equalised in the 83rd minute.

Mourinho introduced Carlos Espi and Endrick, replacing Tchouameni and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as he looked for a winning goal. His decision paid off in the first minute of added time.

Mbappe delivered the decisive goal after Carlos Espi’s pass found him in front of an unguarded net, allowing him to restore Real Madrid’s lead and complete their late victory.

Mourinho praised Espi’s contribution, saying: “Espi is doing well. He comes on with great enthusiasm. He has an exceptional player ahead of him, and playing them together is not easy because we then lose our usual wingers and the team loses its balance.”

He said the late substitutions were necessary despite the risks involved.

“With the late changes, I risked everything, but I had to do it because a draw was not enough,” Mourinho said.

The Real Madrid manager also said he was more concerned with his team’s overall control than with conceding goals or keeping a clean sheet.

“I am not worried about failing to keep a clean sheet, but about the match as a whole,” he said. “I like my team to score goals, but I prefer to control matches. It is not about the goals; it is about not giving up control of the game.”

Barcelona, who are top on goal difference, still have to play their sixth-round fixture against Racing Santander on Wednesday evening.

Elche remain bottom of the table in 20th place with two points.