Carlos Espí secures last-minute wins for Real Madrid against Espanyol and Elche

Some players take months to win over a new fanbase. Carlos Espí needed about 90 minutes. The 21-year-old Spanish forward, who joined Real Madrid from Levante on July 30 for €25 million, has already established himself as the club’s resident stoppage-time savior. Twice this season, Espí has found the net in the dying moments to rescue all three points for Los Blancos, first against Espanyol on his LaLiga debut and then against Elche barely three weeks later. The debut that wrote its own script On August 22, Espí made his first competitive appearance for Real Madrid in a home fixture against Espanyol. The match also carried additional weight as the first competitive outing of José Mourinho’s second stint as head coach, following his return to the club in June. His late strike sealed a 2-1 victory, the kind of debut goal that instantly earns a player cult-hero status. Standing at 1.94 meters, Espí is built like a classic target man. That aerial presence was precisely the profile Madrid identified when they triggered his release clause over the summer. Lightning strikes twice against Elche On September 15, Real Madrid hosted Elche in what should have been a comfortable afternoon. Madri...