Round 21 of La Liga comes to a close as Real Madrid (14-3-30 hosts Elche CF (1-6-13) at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain. Check out our La Liga odds series, starring our Real Madrid-Elche prediction and pick.
The Whites currently trail their arch-rivals FC Barcelona by 11 points following Barca's 1-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday. Real Madrid hopes to carry the momentum it had after securing the FIFA Club World Cup trophy over Al-Hilal Saudi.
Elche finally got their first win of the year and of the season after exploding three goals against the back of Villarreal's net. Eleche still holds the bottom spot of the La Liga table and is in danger of relegation.
Here are the Real Madrid vs. Elche soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Premier League Odds: Real Madrid vs. Elche Odds
Real Madrid: -600
Elche: +1100
Draw: +550
Over 2.5 Goals: -190
Under 2.5 Goals: +154
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Elche
TV: DAZN, ESPN Deportes
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
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Why Real Madrid Can Beat vs. Elche
Real Madrid head into Wednesday's clash on the back of clinching their fifth Club World Cup crown. They knocked out Al Ahly SC from the semi-finals and made incredible work against Al-Hilal Saudi. Braces from Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde put the Vikings in control at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco, while Karim Benzema completed the scoring for Real Madrid. This is the second silverware that Real Madrid snatched this season after winning the UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt. They lost the Super Cup to Barcelona but are still in contention to hoist the La Liga and UEFA Champions League trophies.
Although Real Madrid has only lost three of their 20 league games this season – Mallorca, Villarreal, and Rayo Vallecano – they have struggled to find rhythm after the World Cup. Los Blancos tallied three wins, one draw, and two losses in La Liga.
Real Madrid suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Mallorca in their previous La Liga outing. A Nacho Fernandez own goal gave Mallorca a point in the scoresheet, but the whites failed to bounce back despite putting up 20 shots and controlling the ball 74% of the 90 minutes on the pitch.
Carlo Ancelotti will have to play this game without Eden hazard, Ferland Mendy, and Vinicius Junior. Lucas Vasquez and Thibaut Courtois are doubtful to make an appearance on home ground. Andriy Lunin will start between the goal sticks ahead of the Belgium international if he will not suit up, while Karim Benzema will lead the attack alongside Marco Asensio and Rodrygo.
Why Elche Can Beat Real Madrid
Following 19 failed attempts, Elche finally claimed their first La Liga win of the season and of the year when they hosted Villarreal at the Estadio Martinez Valero. Pere Milla's hat-trick in 52 minutes sealed the victory for Elche, thanks to the team tallying 18 total shots despite posting a 28% ball possession rate.
Los Franjiverdes remain 10 points behind second-bottom Getafe in the La Liga table. Eleche only recorded one win, six draws, and thirteen defeats which result in just nine points. They have just found the back of the net 15 times and also conceded 40 goals. They would need to make a series of wins if they aim for survival, as 17th-ranked Espanyol holds an 11-point buffer from relegation.
Elche also suffered a 3-0 demolition from Los Blancos last October, but they made a miraculous 2-2 draw in their last game last season. Elche would need to replicate their deadlock performances against Osasuna, Cadiz, Espanyol, Valencia, Mallorca, or Almeria if they want to take a point in this fixture. In addition, Elche would have to make extra work on the defensive end by making more of their season averages of 16.4 tackles, 19.6 clearances, 8.2 interceptions, and 4.0 saves per game. Los Ilicitans would also need to lessen their 129 possession lost per game and challenge the ball without taking more than 14.6 fouls and 3.0 yellow cards per game.
Pablo Machin and company would have to play this game without Pere Milla, Alex Collado, and John Nwankwo. Omar Mascarell and Heliberton Palacios are still suspended, so they too would watch the game on the sidelines. Fidel, Lucas Boye, and Ezequiel Ponce would likely be the front three for the Green Stripes, while Carlos Clerc, Raul Guti, Gerard Gumbau, and Jose Angel Carmona shall take midfield duties.
Final Real Madrid vs. Elche Prediction & Pick
Viewers, spectators, and bookmakers expect Real Madrid to make light work of this game against the bottom-ranked team in La Liga. Elche might find a bit of luck despite Milla sitting out this game, but Real Madrid will be extremely motivated to hunt the points in this high-scoring lopsided game.
Final Real Madrid vs. Elche Prediction & Pick: Real Madrid (-600), Over 2.5 goals (-190)
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