Real Madrid nearly threw away a two-goal lead at Elche on Tuesday night, and only a 21-year-old substitute rescued them. That should embarrass them more than it does. But here we are, six matchdays into the season, and Carlos Espí is the reason Madrid are still breathing in a title race that Barcelona are already threatening to run away with.

The Note in Mourinho's Hand

The story writes itself, almost too neatly. Elche had pulled it back to 2-2 through goals from Abiel Osorio in the 71st minute and Fer Niño in the 83rd. Vinícius had gone. Arda Guler had gone. Tchouaméni was barely functional. Antonio Rüdiger was patrolling the touchline with his hands on his head, and the home crowd, fully believing they could pinch a winner, were singing themselves hoarse. At 11.16pm, the 88th minute, Mourinho called Espí over and pressed a small folded note into his hand. Whatever was written on it, the message was simple enough. Five minutes later, Espí was in the corner, pumping his fists.

The goal itself was a team effort in the best sense. Jude Bellingham drove forward and slipped Kylian Mbappé in; Mbappé laid it off; Espí finished. One step forward, the Elche defensive line following him to their doom, and the space was there. Espí, on the pitch for four minutes, had done the job. [Tuesday night carried a broader awkwardness for Madrid beyond the result itself](/uprise/football/football-daily-madrid-endure-an-awkward-night-after-t-shirt-trouble), but Espí papered over enough of the cracks that the three points landed.

Who Is This Lad, Actually?

This time last year, nobody outside Valencia's lower leagues had heard of Carlos Espí. Born in Tavernes, a small town up the east coast from Elche, he spent last season at Levante, scoring 11 goals in 25 games to pull them clear of relegation. Madrid paid his buyout clause. Even then, he was not exactly a household name. On the day he scored against Espanyol in the opening week of this season, his Wikipedia page was reportedly the most read in all of Spain. One thing you probably will not find on there: he is a trained oboe player.

He is a proper old-fashioned number nine. Big, physical, willing to go through centre-backs rather than around them. Thibaut Courtois called him a "beast" for the way he goes at Rüdiger in training, which given Rüdiger is built like a concrete wall, tells you something about Espí's temperament. Teammates have started calling him Joselu Junior. He has scored twice in just 42 minutes of football across the season so far, delivering four points on his own. Nobody at the club has a better ratio.

What This Means in the Bigger Picture

Barcelona scored seven against Racing Santander this week. Seven. Raphinha alone has 11 goals for the season already. The gap at the top is not catastrophic yet, but if Madrid keep drifting through halves the way they did at Elche, letting two-goal leads evaporate and relying on teenagers off the bench to bail them out, it will become catastrophic. The Atlético derby on Sunday is next, and nobody there will be as forgiving as Elche were.

For now though, Espí keeps saving them. The opening weekend. Tuesday night. Saving teams might just be his thing. Madrid should probably worry about needing saving quite so often, but they should also be very glad he is there.