MADRID (AP) — Carlos Espí scored in stoppage time after a nifty move by Jude Bellingham and an assist by Kylian Mbappé to help Real Madrid salvage a 3-2 win at Elche in the Spanish league after it relinquished a two-goal lead on Tuesday.
Bellingham used a neat long touch to get past an opponent near midfield and fed Mbappé in a breakaway into the area, and the France star quickly set up Espí's close-range score to give Madrid the victory and move the Spanish powerhouse even on points with Barcelona. The defending champion can regain the lead when it hosts promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday.
Click to Gallery
Real Madrid's Carlos Espi celebrates after scoring his sides third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts after suffering an injury during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Arda Guler celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Elche's Abiel Osorio heads teh ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe runs on the pitch during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
“We went from having it easy to losing control,” Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said. “But in the difficulty of the moment, facing the pressure of losing points, the team reacted and won the match, which in the end is the most important thing. The good thing is that nobody gets bored when Real Madrid plays. The games are always fun.”
Madrid had taken the lead against Elche with an own-goal by goalkeeper Matías Dituro in the 25th after the ball ricocheted off him following a well-struck free kick taken by Arda Guler. Mbappé added to the lead by scoring from close range after an assist by Yan Diomande in the 33rd.
Abiel Osorio pulled the hosts closer with a header in the 71st and Fer Niño netted the equalizer in the 83rd.
There was a bit of a scare immediately after Mbappé scored as he stayed on the ground in visible pain, but he eventually returned to the field after being attended by Madrid doctors.
The goal moved him to seven goals in six league matches, one goal more than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández.
Mbappé had scored a brace in Madrid’s 4-1 win against Rayo Vallecano in the previous round.
He had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime on Tuesday.
Bellingham came into the match by replacing Guler in the 68th.
Madrid’s only league setback this season was at Real Betis two rounds ago.
Players from both clubs wore t-shirts showing words of support for Ceuta as they came onto the field before the match. But Madrid players Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté wore the shirt only halfway down their chest, without pulling them down, and obscuring some of the words on it. Mbappé and Vinícius removed their shirts before they saluted the other players and the referees.
They had not immediately explained why they did that.
In July, tens of thousands of migrants breached the frontier between Spain's North African territory of Ceuta and neighboring Morocco.
Valencia won 1-0 at Alaves to end a four-game losing streak and a winless start to the season.
The string of poor results had led to the firing of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay this weekend. It then appointed Braulio Vázquez as its new sporting director and named B-team coach Óscar Sánchez as an interim manager.
Luis Rioja scored a 78th-minute winner for Valencia, which had been outscored 10-1 so far.
Valencia fans had been protesting and called players “mercenaries” after the 5-0 home loss to Barcelona. They have long called for the exit of owner Peter Lim.
Rayo Vallecano beat Espanyol 2-1 with first-half goals by Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa in what may have been its last match before returning home to Vallecas Stadium.
It was Rayo's third home game played at Butarque Stadium — which belongs to second-tier club Leganes — because of unsafe conditions at Vallecas. It also beat Racing Santander 3-2 and drew Alaves 1-1 at Butarque.
Roberto Fernández scored for Espanyol in the second half for his sixth goal in six matches.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Real Madrid's Carlos Espi celebrates after scoring his sides third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts after suffering an injury during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Arda Guler celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Elche's Abiel Osorio heads teh ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe runs on the pitch during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Real Madrid in Elche, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
NEW YORK (AP) — Ed Sheeran’s tour of North and South America was plunged into chaos Tuesday when four of his supporting acts abruptly quit in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore, who was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.
Hours after Sheeran posted on social media about Macklemore's ouster and attributed the decision to the tour's promoters, Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, the Danish band Lukas Graham, and Finneas posted on Instagram that they were leaving the tour.
Rowe and Lukas Graham would have been replacements for Macklemore on Sheeran’s remaining U.S. dates, while Beoga had been performing several songs — including some the Irish folk band co-wrote — with Sheeran around the middle of each set. Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The moves by his fellow artists put enormous pressure on Sheeran, who has tried to avoid politics and taking a side in the Gaza conflict, arguing that his fans don't come to his shows to hear politics.
Rowe and Beoga each cited their country’s history in their statements explaining their decision. “We are Irish people who understand colonialism. As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be,” Beoga said.
Rowe called Sheeran a friend and said the British singer-songwriter changed his life. “But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation,” he said, adding that he couldn't “stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up.”
Meanwhile, Lukas Graham, the band that had hits with "Mama Said” and “7 Years,” expressed gratitude to Sheeran and called it “a difficult decision.”
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge,” the band posted, seemingly referring to billionaire Robert Kraft’s role in Macklemore’s removal from the tour.
Emails seeking comment were sent to Sheeran and the tour’s promoter, the Messina Touring Group.
Sheeran weighed in on Macklemore being dropped after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments onstage during their tour, saying the decision was made by the promoters alone. The British singer also said he refused to be drawn into a public discussion about the war in Gaza.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living."
Sheeran's statement came a day after Macklemore said he was kicked off the Loop Tour after exclaiming “Free Palestine!” during the Sept. 5 date at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium while introducing his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you,” he said during the concert.
Macklemore said Monday on Instagram that several U.S. venues told the promoter they would prohibit him from performing as Sheeran’s opening act, rallied by Kraft, owner of NFL’s New England Patriots. His Kraft Group also owns Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play.
In a statement Monday, Kraft said the decision to cancel Macklemore was a result of his recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
Kraft's representatives didn't immediately respond to a Tuesday email seeking comment about the other musical artists' actions.
A growing chorus of organizations and experts say Israel’s wartime actions in Gaza amount to genocide — an accusation Israel vehemently rejects.
Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the 10 shows Sheeran has remaining on his stadium tour, which is scheduled to resume Saturday in Philadelphia. Ahead are stops at Gillette Stadium, Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.
In his social media post, Sheeran said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge,” but that “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.”
He wrote that he tries to use his music to “bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together” and that while he has personal views about “this devastating conflict,” he chooses not to speak publicly because people who come to his shows “do not expect a political forum.” He added: “I am not complicit.”
“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes," Sheeran added. "However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace. I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.”
Elise Russo contributed to this report.
FILE - Macklemore performs at Austin City Limits Live during the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas on March 17, 2023. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Lukas Forchhammer of the band Lukas Graham appears at th World Mental Health Day Gala in New York on Oct. 9, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Finneas arrives at the second season premiere of "Beef" in Los Angeles on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Aaron Rowe performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, on June 26, 2025. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York on July 22, 2022, left, and Ed Sheeran appears at the premiere of the film "F1 The Movie" in London on June 23, 2025. (AP Photo)
FILE - Macklemore performs at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater during the South by Southwest Music Festival, March 17, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran performs during "Ed Sheeran's Play: Live from New York" presented by TikTok at Domino Square in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Sept. 13, 2025. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
