Elche 1-3 Barcelona: Profligate Hansi Flick’s side manage to secure victory at Estadio Martinez Valero
There were several moments when what should have been an easy win for Barcelona nearly came crashing down. Easy not because Elche are a team to completely write off, especially at home, but because Barcelona were very good, creating really nice chances led by the inspiring Lamine Yamal.
Except a lot of them were wasted. Dani Olmo mishit a shot after Alejandro Balde’s square pass, sending the ball wide from 12 yards. Ferran Torres found the woodwork twice in the space of a second, striking the bar from close range and then hitting the post on the rebound. Then later on, Fermin Lopez blew over the bar from seven yards after a simple layoff from Yamal.
Torres’ effort after rounding goalkeeper Inaki Pena was cleared off the line by Victor Chust. Marcus Rashford ran through on goal in the second half but could only hit his shot went wide.
Yamal had got Barcelona off to a great start after collecting Olmo’s incisive through pass and rounding Pena to finish with only six minutes played. Elche equalised before the half hour, Alvaro Rodriguez running successfully through the high back line to find the corner.
Torres hit back with five minutes to go in the first half, lashing into the roof of the net from Frenkie de Jong’s cutback.
But Barcelona’s profligacy kept the game in the balance for over an hour. Elche could have punished the visitors but Adam Boayar skewed his chance in front of goal horribly wide. Rashford then finished emphatically at the other end to settle the tie.
