Real Madrid snatched a dramatic late victory away to Elche thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Carlos Espi. It was a moment of pure joy for the Madrid players, but José Mourinho was in no mood to celebrate too early.
The clock had already reached the 91st minute and Real Madrid appeared to be heading for a frustrating draw. Elche had fought their way back into the contest to make it 2-2, putting Mourinho’s side under enormous pressure in the closing stages.
Madrid, however, kept pushing.
After a well-worked team move, Kylian Mbappé found space and delivered the perfect pass into the path of Carlos Espi. The young striker kept his composure and finished the chance to make it 3-2, sending the Real Madrid players and supporters into wild celebrations.
It was a huge moment for Espi and an even bigger relief for the visitors.
Almost every Madrid player on the pitch immediately ran towards the striker to celebrate with him. Those on the bench quickly followed, rushing towards their teammate as the entire squad wanted to share the moment with the hero of the night.
Almost everyone celebrated.
José Mourinho did not.
No celebration for Camavinga
While his players were caught up in the emotion of the late winner, Mourinho remained inside his technical area and immediately tried to restore calm.
For the Portuguese coach, the match was not over yet.
There were still several seconds left to play and Mourinho clearly had no intention of allowing his players to lose focus. He gestured towards them to return to their positions and prepare for the restart instead of continuing the celebrations.
One moment involving Eduardo Camavinga perfectly summed up Mourinho’s reaction.
The French midfielder was about to leave the bench area and join his teammates near the pitch to celebrate Espi’s goal. Mourinho quickly intervened, grabbing Camavinga by the back of his shirt and stopping him from running towards the group.
Camavinga appeared slightly surprised by the reaction, but immediately stopped.
For Mourinho, the message was simple: celebrate only when the job is completely finished.
The scene reflected the Portuguese manager’s mentality. Even after a potentially decisive goal in the 91st minute, he remained focused on what could still happen in the final moments of the match.
🚨💣 BREAKING: Luis de la Fuente is SERIOUSLY considering calling up Carlos Espí to Spain NT. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/kw4eV15kFz
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 16, 2026
Real Madrid had already allowed Elche to come back into the game, and Mourinho clearly did not want his team to take another unnecessary risk.
Once the final whistle was blown, however, his attitude changed.
The Real Madrid coach finally allowed himself to enjoy the victory. Mourinho congratulated his players before making a point of embracing Espi, whose late goal had rescued Madrid from what could have been a hugely disappointing result.
It was a tense ending to a difficult match, but Real Madrid ultimately left Elche with all three points.
And while the players celebrated the winning goal immediately, Mourinho waited until the only moment that truly mattered to him: the final whistle.
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