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MADRID: Carlos Espí scored in stoppage time after a nifty move by Jude Bellingham and an assist by Kylian Mbappé to help Real Madrid salvage a 3-2 win at Elche in the Spanish league after it relinquished a two-goal lead on Tuesday.

Bellingham used a neat long touch to get past an opponent near midfield and fed Mbappé in a breakaway into the area, and the France star quickly set up Espí’s close-range score to give Madrid the victory and move the Spanish powerhouse even on points with Barcelona. The defending champion can regain the lead when it hosts promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.

“We went from having it easy to losing control,” Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said. “But in the difficulty of the moment, facing the pressure of losing points, the team reacted and won the match, which in the end is the most important thing. The good thing is that nobody gets bored when Real Madrid plays. The games are always fun.”

Madrid had taken the lead against Elche with an own-goal by goalkeeper Matías Dituro in the 25th after the ball ricocheted off him following a well-struck free kick taken by Arda Guler. Mbappé added to the lead by scoring from close range after an assist by Yan Diomande in the 33rd.

Abiel Osorio pulled the hosts closer with a header in the 71st and Fer Niño netted the equalizer in the 83rd.

There was a bit of a scare immediately after Mbappé scored as he stayed on the ground in visible pain, but he eventually returned to the field after being attended by Madrid doctors.

The goal moved him to seven goals in six league matches, one goal more than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández.

Mbappé had scored a brace in Madrid’s 4-1 win against Rayo Vallecano in the previous round.

He had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime on Tuesday.

Bellingham came into the match by replacing Guler in the 68th.

Madrid’s only league setback this season was at Real Betis two rounds ago.

Mbappé and Vinícius avoid T-shirt

Players from both clubs wore t-shirts showing words of support for Ceuta as they came onto the field before the match. But Madrid players Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté wore the shirt only halfway down their chest, without pulling them down, and obscuring some of the words on it. Mbappé and Vinícius removed their shirts before they saluted the other players and the referees.

They had not immediately explained why they did that.

In July, tens of thousands of migrants breached the frontier between Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta and neighboring Morocco.

Valencia wins after shake-up

Valencia won 1-0 at Alaves to end a four-game losing streak and a winless start to the season.

The string of poor results had led to the firing of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay this weekend. It then appointed Braulio Vázquez as its new sporting director and named B-team coach Óscar Sánchez as an interim manager.

Luis Rioja scored a 78th-minute winner for Valencia, which had been outscored 10-1 so far.

Valencia fans had been protesting and called players “mercenaries” after the 5-0 home loss to Barcelona. They have long called for the exit of owner Peter Lim.

Rayo Vallecano triumphs in Butarque again

Rayo Vallecano beat Espanyol 2-1 with first-half goals by Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa in what may have been its last match before returning home to Vallecas Stadium.

It was Rayo’s third home game played at Butarque Stadium — which belongs to second-tier club Leganes — because of unsafe conditions at Vallecas. It also beat Racing Santander 3-2 and drew Alaves 1-1 at Butarque.

Roberto Fernández scored for Espanyol in the second half for his sixth goal in six matches.

MADRID: Kylian Mbappe struck twice to help Real Madrid smash Rayo Vallecano 4-1 on Saturday to pull level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Jose Mourinho’s side got back to winning ways after a defeat by Real Betis in their previous top-flight outing, with a convincing victory against neighbours Rayo.

Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras were also on target for Real Madrid, while Sergio Camello pulled one back for the visitors early in the second half.

Champions Barcelona visit Levante on Sunday looking to extend their 100 percent start to the campaign and restore their lead on Madrid.

Mourinho’s side took a commanding three-goal lead against Rayo by half-time.

“(It was) fundamental to win, above all after losing the last game in La Liga,” Mourinho told Real Madrid TV.

“We killed the game in the first half — that’s not easy, working like we did after the Champions League game, not just physically, but mentally.”

Los Blancos took the lead from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Florian Lejeune clumsily felled Carreras. Mbappe sent Rayo goalkeeper Emil Audero the wrong way.

The French forward helped create the second, after Lejeune gave the ball away under pressure from Vinicius Junior. Carreras exchanged passes with Mbappe and drilled home.

Handed a first start for Madrid, the club’s record signing Yan Diomande cut inside from the right flank with a rapid dribble that left Rayo’s defence scrambling but lashed his shot high and wide.

Bellingham notched Madrid’s third goal and his third of the season after Vinicius charged down the left and cut the ball back for the England international, who has started the season in top form.

Mourinho defended Vinicius in midweek after some Madrid supporters whistled him in the Champions League win over Inter Milan.

Mbappe powered a strike from distance against the post as Madrid sought a fourth, while Pedro Diaz forced a rare save from Thibaut Courtois at the other end, the Belgian with a strong hand to push away his effort.

Diaz hit the post early in the second half as Rayo tried to find a foothold at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Golden ambitions

Mbappe, who stated his case for why he should win the Ballon d’Or this week, almost added a second with a low drive.

Rayo pulled one back in the 51st minute when Vinicius gave the ball away to Camello under pressure and the forward poked past Courtois.

It was the Spanish forward’s sixth goal of the campaign, making him joint-top scorer with Barcelona’s Raphinha and Mbappe.

Benat San Jose’s side, 15th, had further chances to score but Courtois pushed out Giorgi Tsitaishvili’s drive and an effort from Lejeune.

Mourinho brought on Turkish midfielder Arda Guler to help regain some control.

“Arda is very good, he’s got a lot of quality, he influences the team’s play in a good way and today he made a difference in terms of the stability of the game,” said Mourinho.

Guler helped create Madrid’s fourth for Mbappe in stoppage time, lethally finished low and across goal.

It was Mbappe’s seventh goal of the season across all competitions.

“Conceding the (early) penalty was a blow, then we had another mistake when bringing the ball out,” said Rayo coach San Jose.

“I think we could have scored in the first half too, but it’s true that they were better…

“We have to congratulate Madrid, but I’m proud of the players because the second half was much better.”

On Tuesday Real Madrid travel to face Elche, while Rayo Vallecano host Espanyol.

Earlier on Saturday, Racing Santander defeated third-place Alaves 2-1, while Espanyol won 2-0 at Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 at home against Elche.