Marcus Rashford marked his growing influence at Barcelona with a decisive goal as the Catalan giants beat Elche 3-1 in La Liga, returning to second place just five points behind Real Madrid.
After last weekend’s El Clasico defeat, Barcelona responded with intensity and purpose at the Olympic Stadium. Hansi Flick’s men dominated early on, pressing high and punishing Elche’s defensive lapses. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the ninth minute after latching onto an Alejandro Balde pass. The 18-year-old winger cut inside and unleashed a precise left-footed strike into the far corner, setting the tone for a confident display.
Only two minutes later, Ferran Torres doubled the advantage. Elche defender Adria Pedrosa slipped under pressure, allowing Fermin López to seize possession and cross for Torres to tap home into an empty net. The visitors, however, struck back just before halftime when Rafa Mir broke the offside trap and curled a low effort past Iñaki Peña to make it 2-1.
Rashford, who is on loan from Manchester United, had the ball in the net shortly after the restart, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up. The England forward didn’t have to wait long to make his mark again. In the 61st minute, he received a well-timed pass from López, controlled it inside the box, and drove a powerful finish beyond Peña to restore Barcelona’s two-goal cushion.
It was a confident finish that underlined Rashford’s growing comfort in Spain. His goal also eased the pressure on Flick’s side, who had faced criticism after the El Clasico loss. Rashford’s sharp movement, pace, and finishing ability gave Barcelona’s attack an added edge throughout the game.
Elche came close to pulling one back when Mir hit the post twice in the second half, but the hosts remained in control. The victory extended Barcelona’s unbeaten home run against Elche in La Liga to 25 matches, with 18 wins in that stretch.
For Rashford, the performance was a statement. His time in Barcelona has been closely watched, with speculation surrounding whether the club will trigger the £28 million option to make his loan move permanent next summer.
Barcelona now sit second with 25 points, five behind leaders Real Madrid, as they continue their pursuit to retain the La Liga title.
Marcus Rashford scored a crucial goal as Barcelona defeated Elche 3-1 to move back to second in La Liga, five points behind leaders Real Madrid. Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres were also on target for Hansi Flick’s side.
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