{"id":15126,"date":"2026-03-15T02:16:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T02:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=15126"},"modified":"2026-03-15T02:16:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T02:16:10","slug":"real-madrid-beat-elche-to-pressure-barcelona-for-la-liga-title-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=15126","title":{"rendered":"Real Madrid beat Elche to pressure Barcelona for La Liga title | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Federico Valverde scores his fifth goal in three games as Real Madrid beat Elche to move one point behind Barcelona.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><button class=\"article-listen-container\" aria-labelledby=\"listen-text listen-duration\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-listen-container__text\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-text\">Listen to this article<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"article-listen-container__duration\">2 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--main-grey-dark icon--16 listen-to-article-tooltip__icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PXL_20210627_155635971-1-1696493612.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 14 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">14 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><svg class=\"icon icon--plus2 icon--primary icon--12 google-preferred-source__add-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>plus2<\/title><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.571 13.429H3.43c-.405 0-.744-.137-1.018-.411A1.382 1.382 0 0 1 2 12c0-.405.137-.744.41-1.018.275-.274.614-.41 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2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Federico 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\u2019s last-gasp strike from inside his own half that captured imaginations.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>It doubled his side\u2019s lead after Antonio Rudiger volleyed home the opener in the 39th minute, following a scramble in the box from a Real corner.<\/p>\n<p>Dean Huijsen was the unlikely player furthest forward to head home Real\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>Even a late own goal by Manuel Angel could not dampen Los Blancos\u2019 spirits, especially when Arda Guler went on to net what will surely be the goal of the season from inside his own half.<\/p>\n<p>The 21-year-old Turkiye midfielder spotted Elche goalkeeper Mat\u00edas 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.<\/p>\n<p>The Santiago Bernabeu stadium erupted in applause for the memorable goal that came with the beyond-doubt victory in the 89th minute.<\/p>\n<p>G\u00fcler 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.<\/p>\n<p>The win moves Real to within a point of leaders Barcelona, who can restore their four-point advantage when they play Sevilla on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>The game at Bernabeu Stadium had been a nervy affair until Rudiger\u2019s opener settled the Madrid crowd.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa, also a former Real player, could not have asked for a better week, with one of the best performances of the season produced in Wednesday\u2019s win against City in the UEFA Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>Arbeloa\u2019s side take a 3-0 advantage to Manchester for the return leg on Tuesday, and with the La Liga race tightening, what was looking like a nightmare season could still end with the two most coveted titles for Madrid.<\/p>\n<p>Elche, who were promoted to La Liga last season, remain mired in a relegation scrap, just a point above third-bottom Mallorca, who entertain Espanyol on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federico Valverde scores his fifth goal in three games as Real Madrid beat Elche to move one point behind Barcelona. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a02 mins info Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Federico Valverde hit the back of the net, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}