Looking to bounce back to winning ways after the defeat to Real Madrid in La Liga, Barcelona took to the field on Sunday night at Montjuic to take on Elche as part of Matchday 11.
Despite having the home advantage, Barcelona were under pressure for a decent part of the opening 15 minutes, but two lethal moves capitalising on the opponents’ errors helped them take a 2-0 lead.
The opponents pulled one back later in the half and ensured that the game was back on, but Marcus Rashford restored the two-goal lead and helped Barcelona regain their cushion.
Barca Universal brings you the player ratings from Barcelona 3-1 Elche.
Wojciech Szczesny: 7
The Polish goalkeeper did not have a very busy night in terms of shot-stopping but was regularly put under pressure by the opposition’s high press and did well to adjust to it.
Not much he could do about Elche’s opener as it was precisely curled around him.
Alejandro Balde: 8.5
The youngster was electric on Barcelona’s left wing and was rock-solid in defence and a dynamo in the final third.
His bursts of pace handed the team serious versatility on the flank and ensured that they threatened every time they built up on the wing, especially when looking to break Elche’s lines down. Eventually earned the assist for Yamal’s opener.
Eric Garcia: 8
The Spaniard started on the night in central defence and did well to partner with Ronald Araujo, taking over as the primary ball-playing defender.
Garcia not only defended with conviction but also ensured to regularly threaten to break the lines with balls in from the deep and threaded the ball into dangerous positions often.
Ronald Araujo: 7.5
The Uruguayan earned his start on the night after his strong cameo in the Clasico and did well against Elche, looking reasonably solid in central defence and also doing well to hold the offside trap.
His pace enabled Barcelona to have the legs to keep up with any Elche counter-attack, showing a step in the right direction in terms of fortifying the back line.
Jules Kounde: 7
The Frenchman was better than in previous games in terms of certain one-two combination plays but continued to make mistakes overall as well. His confidence may well be returning, but he is taking his own sweet time in that regard.
Marc Casado: 7
Casado entered the starting lineup in place of the injured Pedri and did well as the holding midfielder, stabilising the midfield and acting as a reliable ball-circulator. Provided a good work rate and helped in the buildup.
Frenkie de Jong: 7.5
De Jong was the player tasked with breaking Elche’s high defensive line with runs in from the deep and the player was thus constantly looking to push ahead in attack and get into spaces.
Took over as Barcelona’s primary ball-distributor and carrier in Pedri’s absence and did well to fill the seemingly unfillable boots of the Canary Islander.
Fermin Lopez: 9
Lopez entered the field with an extra battery pack and looked motivated enough on the night to run the extra mile in every play.
His energy brought life to Barcelona’s press and helped recover the ball from unlikely positions, catching Elche off guard. It was his run, in fact, that created the opening for the team’s second goal and he even earned an assist for the third.
Marcus Rashford: 8
While Rashford did not directly leave his impact in terms of goal contributions in the first half, the player was crucial on the left wing for both the buildup and the directness that he brings to the field.
Did not hesitate to shoot even for a half-chance and did well to combine in tight spaces. Eventually scored a stunning goal to restore Barcelona’s two-goal lead.
Lamine Yamal: 8.5
The youngster looked far better than he did last weekend in the Clasico and moved about with far more ease. His dribbles were on point and he showed glimpses of his bursts of pace once more.
Scored the team’s first goal with a work of skill, controlling the ball, turning into space, and shooting at a tight angle to find the back of the net.
Ferran Torres: 8
The Shark scored Barcelona’s second goal on the night with a simple tap-in courtesy of Lopez’s perfectly-weighted assist. Worked hard on the press when off the ball and contributed immensely with his off-the-ball movement.