FC Barcelona defeated Elche 3-1 at the Olímpic Lluís Companys stadium, narrowing the gap with league leaders Real Madrid.
Goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford highlighted Barcelona’s attacking strength and midfield dominance.
Despite missing key players due to injury, the team showed resilience and depth, controlling possession and creating multiple scoring chances.
However, some defensive lapses, especially with the offside trap, allowed Elche to score once.
This result was crucial for Barcelona to maintain pressure on league leaders Real Madrid as the season progresses.
Wojciech Szczesny (7/10)
Szczesny showed great composure throughout the match, demonstrating solid shot-stopping abilities.
His leadership from the back helped organize the defense, and he made several crucial saves to keep Elche from scoring more than once.
Jules Koundé (6.5/10)
Koundé was reliable in defense, making important tackles and interceptions.
However, he was caught out a few times by Elche’s quick breaks, indicating room for improvement in positioning and anticipation.
Ronald Araújo (7/10)
Araújo was strong and commanding at the heart of defense, consistently challenging Elche’s forwards.
His aerial ability and physical presence were key to limiting their attacking options.
Eric Garcia (6/10)
Garcia faced sustained pressure and had moments of shaky distribution under Elche’s pressing.
While he won several duels, enhancing his composure on the ball could benefit the team’s build-up play.
Alejandro Balde (7/10)
Balde was energetic on the left flank, combining well in attack and defense.
His overlapping runs provided width, and his crosses created goal-scoring opportunities.
Marc Casadó (6.5/10)
Casadó played a disciplined role in midfield, helping to break up Elche’s play and maintain balance.
Although not very adventurous going forward, his defensive contributions were valuable.
Frenkie de Jong (7.5/10)
De Jong dominated the midfield with intelligent passing and excellent vision.
His ability to control the game tempo and deliver incisive passes was crucial in creating clean chances for the forwards.
Fermín López (8.5/10)
López was creative and composed on the ball, helping Barcelona maintain possession under pressure.
His link-up play was instrumental in Barcelona’s attacking transitions.
Marcus Rashford (9/10)
Rashford worked tirelessly on the wing, constantly threatening Elche’s defense with his pace and movement, and scored the third goal.
His involvement in build-up play and ability to create chances were noticeable throughout the match.
Ferran Torres (7.5/10)
Torres was a standout performer, scoring a vital goal early on and consistently posing a threat.
His sharp runs behind the defense and clinical finishing helped set the tone for the match.
Lamine Yamal (7/10)
Yamal’s energy and dynamism in the final third were impressive.
Scoring an early goal, he kept eluding defenders and was a constant creative outlet, contributing greatly to Barcelona’s offensive pressure.
Substitutes:
Robert Lewandowski (7/10)
Came on to add experience and firepower up front.
Worked well to hold up the ball and create space for teammates.
Roony Bardghji (6.5/10)
Brought some creativity to the attacking options off the bench.
Had a few moments of good positioning but struggled to find rhythm.
Dani Olmo (6.5/10)
Brought creativity and passing quality late in the game.
Helped keep possession but did not generate clear chances.
Gerard Martín (6/10)
Provided extra defensive cover when brought in.
Stayed disciplined but did not create attacking opportunities.
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