Mourinho's risks paid off to snatch dramatic win at Elche

Jose Mourinho believes his risks paid off for Real Madrid as they earned a last-gasp win over Elche in LaLiga.

For the second time this season, Carlos Espi netted a stoppage-time winner, securing Madrid a 3-2 victory over Elche.

Madrid, who scored through a Matias Dituro own goal and Kylian Mbappe, led 2-0 at half-time, but Abiel Osorio and Fer Nino both struck to cancel that out late on.

However, Espi – who scored in the last minute of his Madrid debut on the opening weekend – ensured they did not walk away empty-handed.

No other player in LaLiga has scored two winners in the 90th minute or later in 2026-27.

"Three points and nothing more," Mourinho said after the game. "It's just like Hala Madrid and nothing else.

"Obviously, after the first half, we all had the feeling that three, four or five would fall in the second. But we lowered the intensity, we gave too much space, and when [Jude] Bellingham and Brahim [Diaz] came on, I tried to give consistency to the midfield, because Vinicius [Junior] and [Arda] Guler were tired.

"But when I was thinking about stability, they made it 1-2, and in these stadiums, full, the teams that seem dead... in one click they are alive. Then comes the 2-2.

"But we have a bench full of talent and different talents. I risk to the maximum... But a draw is useless. And we scored the goal with a very strong reaction.

"With that feeling that we couldn't leave the points. The final stretch has been very strong. We have achieved it."

Madrid moved level with Barcelona on 15 points at the top of LaLiga – albeit having played an additional game – and the result means Mourinho has now beaten all 25 opponents he has faced as a manager in LaLiga.

Los Blancos were wasteful in front of goal, creating 3.6 expected goals (xG) from 20 shots, though they only got four on target, despite also hitting the woodwork.

And Mourinho pointed to that wastefulness as a worry going forward.

"People are united, without a doubt. Motivated. In that aspect, untouchable," Mourinho said of his players.

"My only criticism is that we can kill games and we don't kill them. And then, we gave the possibility to an opponent who seemed dead to complicate our lives.

"And put two points at risk. We take risks, and when I make the changes, just as we win, we could have lost."