In a pulsating weekend of La Liga action on Matchday 13, the 2025-26 title race took a thrilling turn. Elche pulled off a gritty 2-2 draw against league leaders Real Madrid at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Sunday, November 23, causing Los Blancos to drop precious points and extending their winless streak to three games.
Just 24 hours earlier, on Saturday, November 22, Barcelona marked their emotional return to the partially renovated Spotify Camp Nou with a clinical 4-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao, propelling the Blaugrana to within a single point of the summit and reigniting their championship charge under Hansi Flick.
Real Madrid arrived in Elche under pressure, sitting atop the table with 30 points from 12 games but coming off back-to-back frustrating results: a 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano and a midweek Champions League defeat to Liverpool.
The visitors dominated possession in a goalless first half (57% to Elche’s 43%), but Elche’s compact defense, anchored by David Affengruber and Iñaki Peña in goal, frustrated Madrid’s attacks. Mbappé drew a sharp save from Peña early on, while Rodrygo’s long-range effort sailed over the bar.
Elche, unbeaten at home this season (three wins, three draws), struck first in the 53rd minute through Aleix Febas, who tapped in after a slick team move exposed Madrid’s high line.
Real Madrid responded swiftly, equalizing in the 78th minute when Bellingham’s header found Huijsen for a close-range finish, though VAR waved away Elche’s protests over a possible handball. The hosts refused to yield, regaining the lead in the 85th through Rodríguez’s low drive from the edge of the box.
But Bellingham, Madrid’s midfield maestro, salvaged a point with a 87th-minute volley from Mbappé’s cut-back, his third La Liga goal in four games.
Elche defender Víctor Chust was sent off late for a second yellow, but Madrid couldn’t capitalize despite late pressure from Raúl Asencio. The draw leaves Real Madrid on 31 points, still top but vulnerable—their third straight game without a win has exposed defensive frailties (now 12 goals conceded) and over-reliance on individual brilliance amid reported tactical debates.
Barcelona’s Camp Nou Homecoming:
The Camp Nou faithful had waited 909 days for this moment—their first official match at the iconic stadium since a 3-0 win over Mallorca on May 28, 2023. Ongoing €1.5 billion renovations (with cranes still looming over the stands) limited capacity to 45,401, but the atmosphere was electric as Barcelona hosted Athletic Bilbao.
The Blaugrana, level on 30 points with Madrid pre-match, wasted no time asserting dominance. Robert Lewandowski, the Polish goal machine, opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a clinical finish—echoing the first-ever Camp Nou goal by a Pole back in 1957.
Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 45th minute, latching onto a pinpoint Lamine Yamal through-ball before slotting home.
Fermín López made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half with a thunderous strike into the bottom corner.
Bilbao’s misery compounded in the 54th when Oihan Sancet was dismissed for a reckless challenge on López following a VAR review, leaving the visitors with 10 men.
Torres sealed the rout in stoppage time (90+3′), again assisted by the teenage sensation Yamal, who terrorized Bilbao’s defense all afternoon.