Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory over Elche in La Liga, marking a strong response to their recent defeat in the El Clasico. The win moved the team back into second place, trailing leaders Real Madrid by five points.
Despite the triumph, Barcelona’s defensive struggles continued, as they failed to keep a clean sheet for the sixth consecutive league game. Elche created several chances, with Rafa Mir scoring and hitting the woodwork twice. The match highlighted the challenges Barca faces due to an ongoing injury crisis, with key players such as Pedri, Gavi, and Joan Garcia absent from the lineup.
However, the team was able to bring on Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo following their respective recoveries. Teenage star Lamine Yamal, who had underperformed in the previous match against Real Madrid after returning from a groin injury, showed signs of improvement against Elche.
Elche, coached by Eder Sarabia—a former assistant at Barcelona under Quique Setien—put in a strong performance, finishing ninth in the table but showing determination throughout the game.
Barcelona took the lead in the ninth minute when Alejandro Balde advanced and set up Lamine Yamal, who scored with a clinical finish past Inaki Pena, the former Barcelona goalkeeper. Three minutes later, Ferran Torres extended the lead with a tap-in after Fermin Lopez delivered a precise cross.
Torres also wore a T-shirt honoring Valencia, his home region, in tribute to the deadly flooding that affected the area a year earlier.
The hosts missed several opportunities, with Lopez and Rashford firing narrowly off-target and Pena making a save from Torres. Rafa Mir pulled one back just before halftime, capitalizing on a misjudged offside call to score past Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Torres nearly added a second goal before the break, but Pena made a crucial save. In the second half, Mir hit the crossbar with a curling shot, showcasing Elche’s resilience.
Marcus Rashford sealed the victory in the second half with a well-taken goal after receiving a cross from Lopez, marking his second league goal of the season. Szczesny made another critical save late in the game, preventing Elche from drawing closer.
Ferran Torres reflected on the match, stating, “It was very important to start strong and intense. From there, we could take the game where we wanted it to go.” He added, “We knew the type of game they were going to play, and we started very strong. We were a bit off afterwards, but we found our spirit and our intensity again in the second half.”
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