Rashford on target as Barcelona defeat Elche to move second in La Liga

Barcelona secured a crucial 3–1 victory over Elche at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday, moving up to second place in La Liga and closing the gap to leaders Real Madrid to five points.

Goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford ensured a comfortable win for Hansi Flick’s side despite a spirited display from the visitors.

Barcelona got off to a flying start, taking the lead inside the opening 10 minutes. Alejandro Balde set up Yamal, who calmly finished to make it 1–0. Just two minutes later, Fermín López found Ferran Torres, and the forward doubled Barça’s lead with a clinical strike. 

Elche, however, refused to fold, and Rafa Mir halved the deficit in the 42nd minute after connecting with Álvaro Núñez’s cross to make it 2–1 at halftime.

The second half began with renewed intensity from Elche, who came close to levelling when Mir’s powerful shot struck the post after a fingertip save from Wojciech Szczęsny. 

But Barcelona’s quality soon shone through again as Marcus Rashford extended their advantage in the 61st minute. The England international latched onto López’s through ball before firing home his third goal of the season to make it 3–1.

Flick’s men managed the game efficiently from that point on, maintaining possession and denying Elche any further chances. 

Late substitutions saw Rashford, Yamal, and Balde replaced by Robert Lewandowski, Roony Bardghji, and Gerard Martin, respectively, as the German coach sought to preserve key players ahead of a congested fixture schedule. Despite some uncharacteristic lapses in passing, Barcelona remained in control until the final whistle.

The victory was another statement of intent from Flick’s rejuvenated squad, who have now recorded back-to-back league wins amid an ongoing injury crisis. With the result, Barcelona climb to second place, narrowing Real Madrid’s lead to just five points.

Up next, they face a challenging away fixture that could further test their title credentials, but with key players like Lewandowski and Dani Olmo returning from injury, Barcelona’s momentum looks set to build.