Elche 1-3 FC Barcelona: Three more points for the Liga leaders

FC Barcelona extended their stay at the top of the Liga table with a 3-1 victory over Elche on Saturday, though the result was far more comfortable on paper than it felt on the pitch.

Lamine Yamal gave Barça an early lead, Ferran Torres restored it just before half-time and Marcus Rashford sealed the win in the second half, but the Catalans squandered a staggering number of chances and endured anxious moments after Elche equalised against the run of play.

The win keeps Barcelona four points clear of Real Madrid, who face Rayo Vallecano in Sunday’s Madrid derby.

Yamal strikes early

Barça dominated from the opening whistle and took the lead after only six minutes. Dani Olmo intercepted a loose pass in midfield and lofted a perfect ball forward to Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old rounded former Barça goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and slotted home with composure.

The visitors created chance after chance but failed to capitalise. Ferran Torres struck the crossbar and headed the rebound onto the woodwork, while Fermín López somehow missed from close range. Elche, meanwhile, barely threatened until Álvaro Rodríguez escaped the defence and beat Joan García to make it 1-1.

Torres restores the lead

The equaliser did not last long. Frenkie de Jong produced a fine piece of skill in the build-up before delivering a precise pass for Ferran Torres to convert. Initial celebrations were muted as players waited for a VAR check for offside, but the goal stood and Barcelona went in at half-time leading 2-1.

Despite the dominance, the scoreline flattered Elche. Barça had created enough opportunities to be out of sight, yet wasteful finishing kept the home side in the contest.

Rashford makes it safe

The second half followed a similar pattern: wave after wave of Barcelona attacks met with heroic defending and poor finishing. Elche offered little going forward, but Adam El Mokhtari wasted a golden chance that would have levelled the match.

The decisive moment arrived when Lamine Yamal collected the ball on the right touchline and drove forward at pace before sliding a perfect pass into the danger area. Marcus Rashford, who had earlier struck inches wide, arrived to finish and finally kill off any hope of an Elche comeback.

The victory moves Barcelona a step closer to retaining the Liga title. Attention now turns to Thursday’s Copa del Rey tie away to Albacete.