Real Madrid looks to keep pace on the road against winless Elche

Real Madrid has no intention of losing touch at the top of the table, and to keep that pace it needs to keep piling up wins, including on the road. The trip to Martinez Valero to face Elche in Matchday 6 of LaLiga comes at a good time for Los Blancos, who responded to a defeat with real character: first in the Champions League, then with a convincing rout in the domestic league.

That 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu left a good taste in Valdebebas. And one of the best pieces of news has a name of its own: Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman is going through a sharp scoring streak and sits among the league's top scorers, in a race that also includes names like Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. What's encouraging for Xabi Alonso is that Madrid's scoring doesn't rest on the French forward alone. Jude Bellingham has been back to his best, and the club's new signings are also starting to leave their mark up front.

On the other side of the pitch, the picture looks very different. Elche is off to a rough start this season and is among the few teams in the league still searching for its first win, even at home. That alone speaks to the urgency with which the Franjiverdes approach this match: it's not just about taking three points off a heavyweight opponent, it's about finding the kind of momentum a struggling squad badly needs.

The recent head to head record only adds to the home side's troubles. Elche has gone 10 matches without beating Real Madrid, a streak it will look to snap on its own turf, no small task given where both teams currently stand.

How both teams arrive

Elche, for its part, comes off a point rescued away at San Mames, where it drew with Athletic Club. That result marks just its second draw of the season and shows that, beyond the lack of wins, the team hasn't completely fallen out of the fight.

For this matchup, Xabi Alonso could start Thibaut Courtois in goal, with a back line made up of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras. The midfield would feature Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham, while up top the responsibility would fall on Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

Elche, meanwhile, would go with Matias Dituro in goal, a back line of Victor Chust, Federico Redondo, Bubacar Sangare and Roi Revuelta, and a midfield of Gonzalo Villar and Javi Morcillo. Up front, Tete Morente, German Valera, Fernando Nino and Rafa Mir will look to end the team's scoring drought.

The match is set for Tuesday, September 15 at Estadio Martinez Valero, kicking off at 1:30 pm Mexico City time, 2:30 pm for Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, 3:30 pm Eastern time in the United States and 4:30 pm for Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.