Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Elche: Los Blancos Run Riot Ahead of Etihad Trip

Four different goalscorers got on the scoresheet for the 15-time European champions.

Fede Valverde has now scored five goals in his last three appearances. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

It took some time, but Real Madrid eventually cruised to a 4–1 victory over Elche on Saturday evening to keep the good times rolling at the Bernabéu.

Coming off such a triumphant victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, Los Blancos started off rather flat against a team without a win in 2026. Álvaro Arbeloa’s men slowly eased their way into the game, though, and eventually punished Elche with a few brilliant finishes.

Antonio Rüdiger opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a sensational volley. Six minutes later, Federico Valverde kept up his blistering form to curl home a right-footed strike from the top of the box.

Dean Huijsen joined in on the fun with a powerful header just past the hour-mark to effectively wrap up the game for Real Madrid. In case there was any doubt, Arda Güler scored an outrageous goal from inside his own half that just might be a Puskás Award contender.

The 15-time European champions now sit just one point behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings, but the Catalans have a chance to extend the gap back to four with a win on Sunday over Sevilla. Still, the victory was exactly the dress rehearsal the team needed ahead of its trip to Manchester.

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The Moment That Changed the Game

Antonio Rüdiger bagged his first La Liga goal since 2024. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press/Getty Images

The opening 35 minutes of the game unfolded with little action from either side, lacking any type of flare or creativity. Elche, who surprisingly ended the first half with 55% possession, held onto the ball for prolonged spells without much intent going forward.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, struggled to find an answer to break down the visitors’ low block. The team missed Arda Güler’s playmaking and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expert service from the right flank.

The game was positively stuck in the mud until Valverde stepped up to take a free kick from 20 yards out. The Uruguayan rifled a powerful shot that goalkeeper Matías Dituro parried right into the path of Brahim Díaz. Elche defender Adrià Pedrosa tried to intervene with a headed clearance, but the ball fell onto the right foot of Rüdiger.

In the blink of an eye, the Germany international fired a wicked volley into the back of the net to break the deadlock. The team and its fans collectively sighed in relief at the much-needed opener that completely gave the hosts full control of the match.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Elche (4-4-2)

Multiple unsung heroes for Real Madrid took center stage on Saturday night. | M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.0: Arguably his easiest performance in recent memory. Only had to make one save and the only goal that went into his net came from his own teammate.

RB: Dani Carvajal—6.9: Lucky Elche were not more dangerous going forward. Lacked any type of pace and struggled to get back in transition.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.7: A milestone night. Opened up his account in 2025–26 with a stunning volley and once again put in a defensive performance that turned back the clock.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.7: His range of passing was on full display and he came up large in defense when called upon. Put the game to bed with a clinical header to bag his second career goal against Elche.

LB: Fran García—8.2: A ball of energy down the left flank. Used his pace to blow by Adrià Pedrosa and link up with Vinicius Junior. Set up Valverde’s goal with a simple, yet clinical cut back.

RM: Federico Valverde—8.0: Can do no wrong at the minute. His free kick was the catalyst for the team’s opener and then he buried another sensational strike to tally his fifth goal in three games.

CM: Thiago Pitarch—6.0: Not one of his more impressive outings. Lost eight of his nine duels and was dribbled past four times.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.2: Only needed 59 minutes to put in another clinical display. Misplaced just two passes, had a great look at goal and probably a bit unlucky not to win his side a penalty.

LM: Eduardo Camavinga—6.5: Quiet and efficient. Popped up everywhere on the pitch and played with some much-needed physicality to keep Elche honest. Will rue his poor giveaway that allowed the visitors to get on the scoresheet.

ST: Brahim Díaz—7.2: Found himself on a bit of an island at times, which did him and the team no favors. Could only hold his head in his hands after he squandered a brilliant 1v1 chance just minutes after the restart.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.0: Not his night. Made countless runs forward with little to show for it. Lacked quality service from his teammates.

SUB: Arda Güler (58’ for Vinicius Jr)—8.1: Scored a simply outrageous goal from inside his own half to punish the Elche goalkeeper, who was nowhere near his line.

SUB: Daniel Yáñez (59’ for Tchouaméni)—7.3: Put on a show headlined by his brilliant ball to set up Huijsen’s goal.

SUB: Gonzalo García (59’ for Valverde)—6.2: Only managed one shot in 31 minutes on the pitch.

SUB: Diego Aguado (61’ for Rüdiger)—6.3: Fearlessly made a perfectly timed tackle on Grady Diangana just a few yards in front of Thibaut Courtois.

SUB: Manuel Ángel (64’ for Díaz)—5.7: Scored an unfortunate own goal to cost his side a clean sheet.

SUB: César Palacios (64’ for Pitarch)—6.9: Earned some gasps from the Bernabéu after dazzling with a few clever bits of skill.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Vinicius Junior’s goalscoring has dried up. | M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

• Fran García showed out in a rare start to fill in for the injured Álvaro Carreras and Ferland Mendy. The Spaniard bagged an assist, impressed with his pace and kept his cool inside his own half. Arbeloa will now have more confidence in the outcast left back moving forward.
• Dani Carvajal is another fringe player who got the nod, but he failed to impress. The veteran was beaten for pace in transition on multiple occasions and no longer has the defensive edge needed to lock down quality players. It’s hard to imagine Real Madrid renewing his contract.
• The pressure has been on Vinicius Junior to carry the attack in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, but the Brazilian has now gone five games without registering a goal contribution. The winger will be thankful, though, that his teammates are stepping up to compensate for his drought.

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The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Comfortable Win

Álvaro Arbeloa has his men firing on all cylinders. | M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

• Real Madrid only tallied a 1.25 xG on the night, but they still managed to fire home four goals.
• The Spanish giants were content to allow Elche to have 53% possession, confident in their defensive shape to keep the visitors quiet even if they had more of the ball.
• Los Blancos were clinical in the final third. Of their six shots on target, four found the back of the net.

Statistic	Real Madrid	Elche
Possession	47%	53%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.25	0.84
Total Shots	14	11
Shots on Target	6	1
Big Chances	3	2
Pass Accuracy	88%	88%
Fouls	11	21
Corners	5	4

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