In Elche, where Real Madrid appeared to have settled the evening before half-time, José Mourinho saw another warning in a 3-2 Liga victory. His side recovered from a second-half collapse to take the points on Tuesday, but the coach said an unhealthy sense of ease has been creeping into matches that look won.
Real Madrid survive Elche comeback as Mourinho warns against complacency
Madrid led 2-0 before the interval in the sixth round of the 2026/27 Spanish league season, then allowed Elche back into the contest after the restart. The home side drew level, only for Carlos Espí to strike in stoppage time shortly after coming on.
Mourinho described the recurring issue as “facilitismo”, his term for a team treating a game as finished because it has felt too straightforward. He believes Madrid have failed to turn periods of superiority into the third, fourth or fifth goals that would remove doubt.
Quick facts
- Elche lost 3-2 to Real Madrid in Tuesday’s sixth-round Spanish league match.
- Real Madrid held a 2-0 first-half advantage before Elche equalised.
- Carlos Espí came off the bench and scored the decisive goal in added time.
- Mourinho also identified similar game-management problems against Rayo Vallecano and Inter Milan.
- Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 and Inter Milan 2-1.
“We go from it being easy to not being in control,” Mourinho said. “We seem to think that if we have not scored the third or fourth, it does not matter because the match is over. It is a kind of complacency: everything appears simple and you allow the game to run.”
The Portuguese coach said the pattern had become clear. Madrid create enough chances to establish a decisive cushion, but then lower their intensity and surrender command of the match.
“Some games look finished but they are not,” he said. “You do not score the third, fourth or fifth, then you slow down and give away control. One goal changes everything.”
The same concern had surfaced despite victories over Rayo Vallecano and Inter Milan, whom Madrid beat 2-1 in the opening round of the Champions League. Against Elche, the danger was more immediate as the equaliser put points at risk late on.
Mourinho responded by increasing his side’s attacking presence, and Espí delivered the late finish that restored the lead. The coach took encouragement from the reaction under pressure, even as he demanded more ruthless control earlier in games.
“The positive is that, when there is difficulty and pressure from potentially dropping points, the team reacts and wins,” Mourinho said. “That is the most important thing. And nobody is bored watching Real Madrid, because the matches are very entertaining.”
SEO Title: Mourinho warns Real Madrid after late 3-2 win at Elche
SEO Description: José Mourinho criticised Real Madrid’s complacency after Elche erased a 2-0 deficit, before substitute Carlos Espí scored a stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 Liga victory.
