Barcelona Heals Wounds Against Elche

Barcelona bought themselves some time this Sunday against Elche. Hansi Flick's side triumphed 3-1 at the Lluis Companys on the first day without Pedri, showcasing both the strengths and weaknesses that have defined their season. Goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran, and Rashford overshadowed Rafa Mir's strike, bringing smiles back to a team still keeping one eye on the infirmary and the other on the pitch in search of their best form.

The match began uncomfortably for Barcelona. Flick chose Casadó to replace Pedri, and the Catalans struggled at the start as Elche bravely pressed high, causing problems for the Blaugrana's build-up play. Everything fell apart as soon as mistakes appeared. Elche is an all-or-nothing team, and a poor pass led to chaos. Balde intercepted the ball, sprinted like a rocket, and left Lamine Yamal with the ball in a decisive position. In the box, he finished into the far corner, perhaps signalling his return.

It was the start of a brief nightmare for Elche. They hadn't digested the first goal when a slip by Pedrosa opened the door for a Barça with a killer instinct. Fermín, very active in pressing, stole the ball and went for the jugular, setting up Ferran to pave the way for Flick's men, who found goals before finding their rhythm. The two goals helped quell Elche's momentum and gave confidence to a Barça that grew with the scoreline in their favour.

This time, Barça knew how to press in the opponent's half. Frenkie de Jong, the best player of the first half, held the team together after losing possession, showed good judgement with the ball, and acted as the conductor. He was 'Pedri de Jong', and Flick's men found pathways from the wings. Rashford and Ferran tested Iñaki Peña, and just when Barça was at their best, Rafa Mir seized a ball behind the centre-backs to revive old ghosts. He outran Araujo and finished expertly into the far corner, unanswerable. It was the blemish on an otherwise mixed first half at the Lluis Companys.

After the restart, the match turned into a back-and-forth affair. Both teams mirrored each other, launching quick attacks to exploit the opponent's high defensive line. Rashford, imprecise until then, missed another chance on the run, and Rafa Mir could have equalised with a shot that hit the crossbar. The match was on a knife-edge, relying on Rashford's accuracy, who was having chances of all kinds. It had to be him to seal the game, and he did so after an extraordinary pass from Fermín. The former United player outpaced Pedrosa in the duel and scored the third with an unstoppable left-footed shot.

From there, Barça breathed a sigh of relief. Szczesny saved another one-on-one against Rafa Mir that ended up hitting the woodwork, but that didn't stop Flick from shaking things up. Dani Olmo, Gerard Martín, and Lewandowski came on to guide the Catalans to a calm end to the match. Barça delivered in a game where Lamine Yamal's best version wasn't seen, but glimpses of the intensity Flick always demands from his teams were evident. Perhaps this is the first step towards seeing the best Barça.