Federico Valverde scores his fifth goal in three games as Real Madrid beat Elche to move one point behind Barcelona.Listen to this articleListen to this article | 2 minsinfo Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2Shareplus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoFederico Valverde hit the back of the net, and the headlines, once again for Real Madrid as they beat Elche 4-1 in La Liga, but it was Arda Guler’s last-gasp strike from inside his own half that captured imaginations.Midfielder Valvrder netted his fifth goal in three games for Los Blancos, having scored a hat-trick in midweek against Manchester City, with a curling effort from the edge of the box just before half-time on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listIt doubled his side’s lead after Antonio Rudiger volleyed home the opener in the 39th minute, following a scramble in the box from a Real corner.Dean Huijsen was the unlikely player furthest forward to head home Real’s third in the 66th minute, but the defender was left unmarked in the box, where he remained after another corner that Elche had effectively failed to clear.Even a late own goal by Manuel Angel could not dampen Los Blancos’ spirits, especially when Arda Guler went on to net what will surely be the goal of the season from inside his own half.The 21-year-old Turkiye midfielder spotted Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro off his line and did not hesitate to launch a long lob with his left foot that sailed over the hapless keeper and bounced once before settling into the net.The Santiago Bernabeu stadium erupted in applause for the memorable goal that came with the beyond-doubt victory in the 89th minute.Güler joined Madrid from Fenerbahce in 2023. He has scored four goals this season, as he has gained more playing time after the exit of veteran Luka Modric. Advertisement The win moves Real to within a point of leaders Barcelona, who can restore their four-point advantage when they play Sevilla on Sunday.The game at Bernabeu Stadium had been a nervy affair until Rudiger’s opener settled the Madrid crowd.The victory marks a third straight win for Real, who had lost two on the bounce in the league prior to the current run, and parted company with their coach Xabi Alonso in January.Interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa …
