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Having taken just two points from their opening five league outings, Elche find themselves marooned in the relegation zone.
Martin Anselmi’s men drew 1-1 with Deportivo La Coruna on the opening weekend, before being thumped 5-0 by Barcelona six days later. Several teams have already suffered heavy defeats to the rampant reigning champions this term, but subsequent 3-2 losses to newly promoted Racing Santander and struggling Real Sociedad were a little more concerning.
However, Saturday night’s gusty performance at the San Mames could prove to be a turning point for Los Franjiverdes, who narrowly avoided demotion to the second tier last term.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are progressing nicely under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician commenced his second stint in the Spanish capital with three consecutive wins, as the 36-time Spanish champions edged past Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium before hammering Real Sociedad and Málaga on home soil. However, a 1-0 reverse to Real Betis threatened to kill their momentum.
Los Blancos bounced back by beating Inter Milan in their Champions League opener, before securing maximum points against Madrid neighbours Rayo Vallecano at the weekend.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch this keenly anticipated clash on Premier Sports, but will need a subscription to access this pay-per-view platform.
Elche v Real Madrid - key info
Date: 15th Tuesday September
Kick-off time: 20:30 (BST)
Venue: Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, Elche
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels/Live stream: Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player (app)
Odds: Elche: 15/2, Draw: 19/4, Real Madrid: 1/3
Odds provided by bet365
Elche team news
Despite his team’s poor recent record, Martin Anselmi has rarely deviated from the same starting lineup. Therefore, expect the former Porto boss to select a similar XI to the one that featured in Bilbao at the weekend.
Having damaged his quadriceps during the latter stages of last season, Adam Boayar remains unavailable.
Yago Santiago’s injury nightmare continues, as he attempts to recover from a long-term knee problem. The Spanish winger underwent surgery at the beginning of last year after badly rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, resulting in him missing ten months of action. Although he managed to make nine league appearances during the 2025/26 campaign, he was required to once again go under the knife in May.
Although their results suggest otherwise, Elche are still managing to create chances in the final third. Two of their six goals have been scored by 25-year-old frontman Fer Nino, who was signed from Segunda Division outfit Burgos in the summer. Facundo Buonanotte is also likely to be a key attacking force for the hosts, as the Argentine playmaker navigates yet another loan spell away from parent club Brighton.
Elche predicted lineup v Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Martin Anselmi
Matias Dituro (GK); Buba Sangara, Victor Chust, Federico Redondo, Roy Revivo; German Valera, Gonzalo Villar; Tete Morente; Facundo Buonanotte, Ali Houary; Fer Nino
Real Madrid team news
Jose Mourinho is without the services of several first-team players, but still has most of Real Madrid’s galacticos at his disposal.
Brazilian duo Rodrygo and Eder Militao both missed the World Cup due to injury, but are at different stages of their respective rehabilitations. Rodrygo will be out for the foreseeable future, having torn his Achilles tendon six months ago, while Militao is almost over what was a severe hamstring complaint.
Although his thigh problem isn’t as bad as initially perceived, Ferland Mendy must navigate yet another extended spell on the sidelines. Raul Asencio has also been a consistent absentee of late, with the Canary Islander now potentially needing surgery on his shin following a muscle issue.
No fewer than three players returned to Mourinho’s matchday squad for the visit of Inter Milan on Tuesday night, although Endrick and Thiago Pitarch didn’t join Aurelien Tchouameni in being introduced from the bench.
A brace on Saturday and last month’s hat-trick against Real Sociedad have helped Kylian Mbappe amass seven goals across his first six appearances of the season, so the Frenchman heads into this one in a confident mood.
Real Madrid predicted lineup v Elche (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Jose Mourinho
Thibaut Courtois (GK); Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Kylian Mbappe
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Tuesday’s contest will be televised exclusively live on Premier Sports 1, while online viewers can follow events at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero via the Premier Sports Player. In the hours prior to kick-off, live coverage of the clash between Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol is available via the same channels.
Alongside Disney+ and LaLiga TV, Premier Sports is one of three broadcasters that show Spanish top-flight action in the UK. However, as they’re able to screen over 340 LaLiga matches each season, Premier Sports dominates this particular market.
Head-to-head record
Elche haven’t beaten Real Madrid since way back in March 1978, when they recorded a 3-1 home triumph at the now-demolished Estadio de Altabix. That result wasn’t a reflection of either side’s respective campaigns, with the winners suffering relegation while Real reclaimed the league title from fierce cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Despite losing seven of their most recent ten meetings with Tuesday’s opponents, Los Ilicitanos earned a valuable point in this fixture last term. During a chaotic second half, goals from Aleix Febas and Alvaro Rodriguez – who both left the club in the summer – enabled Elche to twice take the lead, but they were pegged back on both occasions by a combination of Dean Huijsen and Jude Bellingham.
Can the hosts register a victory over Real Madrid for the first time in almost half a century?
Elche v Real Madrid - match result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.
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