Marcus Rashford was on target as Barcelona bounced back from their El Clasico defeat with a 3-1 victory over Elche at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc.
Hansi Flick’s side made their intentions clear early on, taking control of the game from the first whistle. On nine minutes, Lamine Yamal broke the deadlock scoring a composed finish inside the area after a neat pass from Alejandro Balde.
Early double advantage
Just two minutes later, Ferran Torres doubled Barcelona’s lead, tapping in from close range after Fermin Lopez punished a defensive lapse from Elche.
The visitors, however, pulled one back before the break through Rafa Mir, who timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and curl a fine effort beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
Rashford’s thunderbolt restores control
Barcelona regained a comfortable lead in the 60th minute when Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, unleashed a thunderous strike that rattled in off the woodwork.
Flick gets key players back
Manager Flick introduced Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski late on, marking their return from injury. Elche pressed in the closing stages, with Mir striking the crossbar, but Barcelona held firm to secure all three points.
The victory lifts Barcelona back to second place in La Liga, five points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, as they turn their focus to Club Brugge in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.