Federico Valverde continued his remarkable scoring run, netting his fourth goal in nine days as Real Madrid cruised to a commanding 4-1 victory over Elche CF, trimming FC Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga to just one point.
The Uruguayan midfielder, who had managed only two goals in his first 39 appearances for club and country this season, has suddenly hit top gear at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Still buzzing from his hat-trick against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League earlier in the week, the 27-year-old played a central role as Madrid wrapped up the game with two quick strikes late in the first half.
Valverde’s thunderous free-kick caused the breakthrough. Goalkeeper Matías Dituro failed to deal with the effort, and although Federico Redondo managed to head the rebound away, it dropped invitingly to Antonio Rüdiger, who hammered a volley into the net from the penalty spot.
Moments later, Valverde produced a moment of individual brilliance. After driving forward through the centre to spark the move, he combined neatly with left-back Fran García.
Receiving the return pass at the edge of the area, he shaped to shoot with his left before quickly shifting the ball onto his right foot and drilling a precise finish beyond Dituro.
While Valverde’s display laid the foundation for the win, the most spectacular strike of the night came from Arda Güler.
In the 89th minute, the young midfielder stunned the crowd by spotting the goalkeeper off his line and lifting an audacious lob from around 10 yards inside his own half to seal a memorable Madrid victory.
