Tactics
Carlo Ancelotti decided against experimenting with his tactics. He did change the starting line-up, giving Mariano, Marcelo and Vazquez a chance.
Full-backs were heavily involved in Madrid's attack today, with both Marcelo and Lucas Vazquez putting in good displays as they advanced forward and got involved in the build-up in the final third.
But the real game-changer was Luka Modric, who showed that he was the missing piece in Madrid's attack against Osasuna.
The Croatian is the difference between a fast, threatening Madrid side that we saw today and slow, borderline boring Madrid that we witnessed on Wednesday.
Tactics score: 7/10
Defending
Madrid scored rather early and controlled the game, helped by Elche's Raul Guti seeing red shortly after the hour mark.
But Madrid's defence was sliced open by Elche attackers on several occasions. The opposition did well on the break, catching the Whites off-guard; they also had their chances through positional play, moving the ball past Madrid's midfield.
But the biggest issue was the Whites' carelessness possession. Elche's best chance in the first half came after Alaba lost the ball in his own half while their goal happened after Casemiro misplaced a simple pass.
Defending score: 4/10
Finishing
Madrid had a total of 17 shots, only 5 of them on target. Vinicius Junior's finishing was top-notch today. The youngster bagged a brace, proving he is truly a world-class forward now.
But the same cannot be said about the rest of the team.
Mariano in particular was at fault for not scoring when he should have. The 28-year-old wasted a glorious chance in the first half when he couldn't put the ball past the goalie after Modric set him through for a one-on-one.
Mariano should have set up Hazard for a clear goal very late in the game but instead opted for an honestly ridiculous attempt at scoring.
Chance conversion score: 5/10
Fighting spirit
Overall, the Whites controlled the game but the last ten minutes weren't the best watch for Madrid fans.
Elche's late goal after a Casemiro mistake set Madrid up for a nervy finish.
The Whites almost stopped playing in the final minutes of the game and Elche could have had an equaliser—despite being down to ten men.
You simply can't play like that when you have an extra man and are 2-1 up against a lower-table team.
Fighting spirit: 4/10
