(Reuters) -Real Madrid rescued a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday after coming from behind twice in a pulsating second half.
The result extended Real's winless run to three matches in all competitions, but they reclaimed top spot in LaLiga on 32 points, one ahead of Barcelona.
After a lacklustre first half, it was Elche who struck first in the 53rd minute from an impressive team move.
German Varela's exquisite backheel assist found Aleix Febas inside the box, and the midfielder took one touch before delicately slotting the ball past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois via the post.
Real levelled in the 81st minute through Dean Huijsen. The centre back reacted quickest to a loose ball following a corner, slotting home from close range to bring the visitors back into the contest.
Elche, however, were undeterred and regained the lead three minutes later. Alvaro Rodriguez controlled a well-timed pass on the edge of the box with his first touch before drilling a low, precise shot into the bottom left corner, leaving Courtois no chance.
Madrid fought valiantly to avoid defeat, and in the 87th minute Jude Bellingham converted a crucial equaliser. Kylian Mbappe showed determination to keep a ball in play near the byline, delivering a clever cutback into the box that Bellingham calmly struck into the back of the net to secure a point for his team.
"Three matches without a win? That's football," coach Xabi Alonso told reporters. "We're not happy because we always want to win, but there are still many matches to play.
"The team hasn't fallen apart, the team is still competing. The results and the play can be improved because we're self-critical. It's in the face of adversity that we have to respond."
SETBACKS
Alonso rotated his side after consecutive setbacks, a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League followed by a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano.
He made four changes to Real Madrid's starting 11 and deployed a five-man defence reminiscent of their Club World Cup tactics.
Arda Guler and Dani Ceballos started in midfield to increase control, while Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, and Mbappe lined up in attack. Regular starters Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr began on the bench.
Despite the reshuffle, Madrid struggled to build rhythm or establish meaningful attacking combinations in the first period. Their defensive frailty was exposed early, with Elche forward Rafa Mir forcing a trademark reflex save from Courtois in the 17th minute.
At the other end, Guler came close in the 25th minute with a shot just wide of the crossbar, but Elche looked more threatening. Andre Silva squandered two golden opportunities for the hosts — slicing his effort wide in the 27th minute when one-on-one with Courtois and seeing another attempt denied by the Belgian keeper in the 38th minute.
Mbappe had Madrid's best chance of the half, breaking through on a counter-attack in the 30th minute only to fire directly at Elche keeper Inaki Pena from inside the box.
Alonso kept faith in his starting eleven after halftime, and Rodrygo almost broke the deadlock in the 47th minute with a curling shot destined for the top corner, but Pena denied him with a superb save.
Following Febas' opener, Alonso responded by introducing Vinicius, Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga and Real became livelier, but it was not enough to secure a much-needed win.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
