Lamine Yamal stars as Barcelona beat Elche 3-1 to move four points clear at the top of LaLiga, with Torres and Rashford also scoring.
Barcelona strengthened their grip on the LaLiga summit with a commanding 3-1 win away at Elche, once again led by the composure and quality of Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old opened the scoring early before Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford added further goals at the Estadio Martínez Valero.
The victory lifts Barcelona to 55 points from 22 matches, moving them four points clear at the top of the table. Elche, meanwhile, remain in mid table and were unable to sustain their challenge despite briefly drawing level in the first half.
Barcelona needed just six minutes to assert control. Dani Olmo threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the Elche defence, allowing Yamal to round goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and roll the ball into an empty net.
The early goal settled the visitors, who dominated possession and territory. Olmo later struck the crossbar, while Torres squandered two presentable chances as Barcelona pushed for a second.
Elche found a way back against the run of play in the 29th minute. Germán Valera released Álvaro Rodríguez behind Barcelona’s high defensive line, and the striker finished calmly into the far corner.
That equaliser triggered a chaotic period before the break. Torres struck the crossbar twice in quick succession, with another effort cleared off the line, as Barcelona continued to carve out chances with ease.
Barcelona finally regained their advantage five minutes before half time. Frenkie de Jong drove into the area and showed patience to cut the ball back, allowing Torres to smash a fierce finish into the roof of the net.
It was a deserved lead at the interval, with Barcelona firmly on top despite failing to fully reflect their dominance on the scoreboard.
Hansi Flick turned to his bench at the break, introducing Marcus Rashford for the injured Raphinha. The substitute made his impact felt in the 72nd minute, finishing from close range after Yamal kept the ball alive on the right and delivered a dangerous low cross.
The goal ended any lingering doubt and capped another influential display from Yamal, who continues to shine in the final third.
The statistics underlined Barcelona’s superiority. They attempted 30 shots, eight on target, and generated more than six expected goals, an indication of their attacking control.
De Jong finished with two assists, while Yamal registered both a goal and an assist for the third consecutive league game. Elche struggled to contain Barcelona’s movement after the interval and created little in response.
Barcelona now look ahead to their next LaLiga fixture against Mallorca knowing they have applied pressure on second placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand. With 15 wins in 16 games in all competitions, momentum is building. Flick’s side continue to set the pace in the title race. For now, Hansi Flick’s side will turn their attention to the Copa del Rey fixture against Albacete in midweek.
