Madrid, March 14 (NA) – Real Madrid thrashed Elche 4-1 at home in matchday 28 of the Spanish La Liga. The Álvaro Arbeloa team sits in second place with 66 points, one behind leaders Barcelona. According to the Argentine News Agency, the team had beaten Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 during the week. However, in terms of La Liga, Real Madrid's last match was on March 6, when they defeated Celta Vigo 2-1 away. Meanwhile, Eder Sarabia's side played their last match last Sunday, losing 2-1 to Villarreal in matchday 28. Elche are in 17th place with 26 points, just one point from the relegation zone, where Mallorca, Levante, and Real Oviedo are. Real Madrid opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a goal from German Antonio Rüdiger. After a powerful free-kick from Uruguayan Federico Valverde that Argentine goalkeeper Matías Dituro cleared to the center, the ball rebounded off Brahim Díaz. Frenchman Leo Petrot tried to clear it with his head but left it dropping, and the former Chelsea defender struck it cleanly to make it 1-0. In the 44th minute, Valverde extended the home side's lead. Meanwhile, Elche could drop into the relegation zone this Sunday if Mallorca beats Espanyol. Saturday's football action in Spain began at the Municipal de Montilivi stadium, where Girona beat Athletic Club 3-0 with goals from Hugo Rincón, Moroccan Azzedine Ounahi, and Argentine Claudio Echeverri. Meanwhile, at the Cívitas Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid defeated Getafe 1-0 with the solitary goal from Argentine Nahuel Molina. After a counter-attack through the center led by Valverde himself, the Uruguayan opened to his left for Fran García, who returned the ball, and the midfielder shook off a marker with a turn and placed the ball in the left corner of Dituro's goal, who flew but could not prevent the 2-0. In the second half, in the 21st minute, Real Madrid made it 3-0 with a goal from Dean Huijsen. Besides the former Vélez player, the other Argentine present for the home side was Santiago Colombatto, while for the Andalusians, Guido Rodríguez and Lucas Beltrán played. Over the left vertex of the area, the youth player Daniel Yañez made a great cross to the edge of the small area where Huijsen, alone after getting away from his marker, anticipated goalkeeper Dituro, headed it, and scored. With 5 minutes left, Elche pulled one back with an own goal from Manuel Ángel, who tried to intercept a long pass from Portuguese André Silva but ended up scoring. The rout was sealed by Turk Arda Güler in the 44th minute with another-worldly goal, receiving the ball behind the center circle with all of Elche committed to attack and hitting the goal, scoring over the goalkeeper Dituro who was retreating and saw the ball end up in the net. With this result, Real Madrid remains as the runner-up to leaders Barcelona with 66 points, one behind the culés.
