Barcelona was expected to glide to victory over Elche in La Liga following their impressive victories over Napoli and Athletic Club. At the Estadio Martinez Valero, however, such was not the case at all.
Before their midweek matchup with Galatasaray, Xavi’s team needed to keep their momentum going while also resting several of their starters.
Xavi decided to make several alterations on the night, particularly in the attack. Gavi and Ousmane Dembele started in place of Adama Traore and Ferran Torres, who were the team’s first two subs. With Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri in midfield, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba took over at fullback.
In the first minute, Aubameyang and Dembele linked up to create a chance for the Blaugranas. Foreshadowing what was to come, the Frenchman and the Gabonese striker formed a formidable partnership in the first half.
Dembele’s low cross into the area in the 13th minute provided the first significant opportunity. An amazing block by Roco thwarted Aubameyang’s goal.
Barcelona was expected to glide to victory over Elche in La Liga following their impressive victories over Napoli and Athletic Club. At the Estadio Martinez Valero, however, such was not the case at all.
It was very important for Xavi’s side to retain their momentum ahead of a midweek game against Galatasaray and also keep players fresh.
Xavi decided to make certain adjustments, particularly in the attack, on the night in question. Gavi and Ousmane Dembele replaced Adama Traore and Ferran Torres on the bench. With Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri in midfield, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba took over at fullback.
In the first minute, Aubameyang and Dembele linked up to create a chance for the Blaugranas. Foreshadowing what was to come, the Frenchman and the Gabonese striker formed a formidable partnership in the first half.
Dembele’s low cross into the area in the 13th minute provided the first significant opportunity. An amazing block by Roco thwarted Aubameyang’s goal.
Against Villarreal, Barça scored three stunning goals.
The Catalans once again had the goal at their disposal fifteen minutes later. Dembele was put in a position where he could shoot from a wide-angle, and he succeeded.
While Edgar Badia saved the winger’s sliced effort, the rebound fell to de Jong. A goalkeeper’s clearance off the line by Gonzalez thwarted the Dutchman’s goal-scoring opportunity.
The final 10 minutes of the first half saw Elche begin to accelerate, often overwhelming Barcelona’s defense.
In the 37th minute, Mojica danced down the left flank and the cross dropped to Morente. Despite having the goal at his mercy, the forward skied his effort. In a one-on-one situation with Badia a minute later, Frenkie de Jong again failed to beat him with the ball.
The final seconds of the first half were the most memorable. Pedri fumbled his backpass, and Fidel pounced on the opportunity. Elche’s player sent the ball past Ter Stegen with no hesitation, giving his team the advantage at home.
Ferran Torres was Xavi’s instant response to the team’s relegation. In the 47th minute, the Spaniard came close to making an immediate impact with a fantastic opportunity. In the 53rd minute, the replacement missed his first big chance as he hit the crossbar with a swerving effort.
At the hour mark, Torres’ introduction paid off when the winger equalized the score. Dembele’s cross into the box fell on the feet of the Spaniard, who placed it out of the reach of Badia.
Torres had a slew of scoring opportunities in the remaining 15 minutes. However, even though he made all of the appropriate movements, they were still there.
The ball struck Antonio Barragan’s arm in the 83rd minute and gave Barcelona the lead. After a VAR review, Memphis Depay converted a penalty kick to put the game away.
Late on, Elche again appealed for a penalty, making for a tense finish for the visitors. Three points were subsequently secured for Georgia by a referee’s dismissal of both of these appeals. Barcelona is now three points ahead of Real Betis in the league rankings after this victory.
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