Real Madrid vs. Elche: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Fresh off a massive 8-2 win over Deportivo la Coruna, Real Madrid will return to the Santiago Bernabeu to host Elche on Tuesday in Week 5 of the 2014-15 La Liga season.
Elche have never won a match at Madrid's famed home ground and shouldn't present much of a threat for Los Blancos on paper. But following a difficult start to the season, Carlo Ancelotti won't be willing to overlook any opponent at this stage.
That difficult start is all but forgotten after convincing wins over La Coruna and FC Basel, and another goal fest on Tuesday would truly establish that Real are back at full speed.
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Date: Tuesday, September 23
Time: 7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 5 (for UK viewers) and BeIN Sports (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and BeIN Sports' Connect app.
Preview
What a difference a week can make. Going into their UEFA Champions League opener against Basel, Los Blancos had lost two consecutive La Liga matches and were facing a lot of criticism for their transfer policy during the summer.
Two goal-filled wins later, Real are once again on top of the football world. Last year's Champions League winners have scored an incredible 13 goals in the last 180 minutes, so Elche's defence will be warned.
None of Madrid's prolific forwards are currently struggling with injuries or carrying a suspension, and Ancelotti confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo won't be rested against Elche:
Elche have conceded an average of two goals per match, according to WhoScored.com, but all averages go out the window when they travel to the Spanish capital. No team in football boasts as much scoring potential as Madrid do, and when they're clicking, no team can stop them, either.
Los Blancos need those forwards, however. The team's defence has been shaky all season, to put it lightly, and their struggles were largely forgotten thanks to the offensive onslaught on display in recent weeks.
That still doesn't change the fact they've also conceded an average of two goals per match in La Liga play, a dreadful number for a title contender. Against Elche, the top centre-back pairing of Pepe and Sergio Ramos may both be unavailable, per AS:
That would leave the duo of Raphael Varane and Nacho as the likely starters, giving both youngsters a chance to prove they're deserving of more minutes.
Asier Illarramendi was brought on against Deportivo and immediately made an impact, restoring balance to a midfield group that has struggled since the loss of Xabi Alonso. Goal's Ben Hayward saw the same thing:
"The 24-year-old came on for Karim Benzema (who had been excellent) and almost immediately, balance was restored. Illarramendi did the simple stuff so well, dropping deep into his box to make tackles and providing cover for his team-mates.
With Illarra acting as the shield so sorely missed in recent games, Madrid won the ball back quickly and were able to attack in numbers. During his half an hour on the pitch, Real scored five more goals through Cristiano Ronaldo (who competed his hat-trick), Bale (two) and Chicharito (two - his first for the club). Deportivo also added another, but Madrid were out of sight by then.
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Ancelotti could be tempted to give the Basque another look against Elche as he continues to tinker with his starting XI. The duo of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will likely still be preferred, but another solid performance should help Illarramendi's case for more minutes.
