Barcelona's Clinical Finishers Seal 3-1 Thriller Over Elche, Extend La Liga Lead

Barcelona delivered a commanding 3-1 victory over Elche at the Estadio Martinez Valero, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to four points after 22 matches with 55 points.

The match kicked off with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal opening the scoring in the 6th minute, rounding Elche goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and slotting home after a through ball from Dani Olmo. Elche fought back, equalizing in the 29th minute through Álvaro Rodríguez, who finished coolly after getting behind Barcelona's high defensive line.

Ferran Torres restored Barcelona's advantage just before halftime in the 40th minute, rifling the ball into the net following a cutback from Frenkie de Jong, who had rounded the keeper but was denied by covering defenders. Barcelona hit the woodwork multiple times, including Torres' comical rebound off the bar and post, but their persistence paid off.

In the second half, substitute Marcus Rashford, replacing Raphinha, sealed the win in the 72nd minute with a close-range finish from a Yamal cutback, after Elche's Adam Boayar missed a golden opportunity to level. Elche created chances, including a disallowed goal by Rodrigo Mendoza for offside, but Barcelona's attacking prowess proved decisive despite wasteful finishing.

Manager Hansi Flick's side now lead Real Madrid (51 points from 21 games) by four points, with Atlético Madrid (45 points) and Villarreal (42 points) trailing. Elche sit 12th with 24 points from 22 matches, unbeaten against Barcelona since 1974 until this loss. Analyst Luis Garcia noted Barcelona 'played with fire' by not extending the margin further.

This result comes amid Atletico's 0-0 draw at Levante and Villarreal's 2-2 stalemate at Osasuna, boosting Barcelona's title charge under Flick.