Barcelona defeated Elche 3:1 at home. Initially, quick counterattacks worked, and then Marcus Rashford consolidated the advantage.
The visitors tried to put pressure and create dangerous chances, but the hosts withstood everything. At the very beginning of the match, the "Blaugrana" quickly launched into attack.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring with a precise shot from the center of the penalty area. Then Ferran Torres finished Lopez's pass in front of the goal.
Elche did not give up. Rafa Mir struck into the bottom corner from a long distance, reducing the deficit.
Close to halftime, Wojciech Szczesny saved the home team by blocking Mir's powerful shot. In the second half, the pace of the game slowed down, but both teams continued to create dangerous moments.
Mir hit the goalpost twice, which kept the intrigue alive in the match. But Rashford cut inside from the left flank and sent the ball into the top corner with a powerful shot, deciding the outcome of the game.
After that, Barcelona played cautiously in defense and finished the match calmly. Elche continued their high pressing but started to run out of physical strength.
Thus, head coach Flick refreshed the flanks and later brought Robert Lewandowski onto the field. The visitors' attempts to increase the tempo were unsuccessful.
In the end, Barcelona focused on ball retention and tactical fouls. The victory was fully deserved.
Barcelona made the most of the main phases of play, while Elche failed to take their chances. Thus, the three points stayed at Montjuic Stadium.
