Five things we learnt from Elche 1-2 Barcelona

Barcelona walk away from the Estadio Martinez Valero with three points with a 1-2 win, but no part of securing the win was easy.

The ninety minutes against Elche proved to be a tremendous uphill challenge for Xavi’s side as they struggled to score past a tight and low defensive wall.

Moreover, the rapid counterattacks of the hosts were not only fast but precise, making Barcelona struggle defensively.

Ultimately, the substitutes came to the club’s rescue. Ferran Torres’ equaliser and a late penalty winner from Memphis Depay helped the Catalans secure a hard-fought win and take them to third place on the league standings.

1. The Dembele-Aubameyang connection

Throughout the first half, Barcelona followed a common pattern. The right-flank was the centre of activity as the team constantly aimed to find Ousmane Dembele.

With his pace and dribbling, the Frenchman was tasked with taking on Mojica and sending in crosses to the box. In front of the goal, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was alert and tried to get onto the end of the winger’s crosses.

Barcelona came close to scoring on multiple occasions through the same combination. The only hurdle in the plan was the inaccurate crossing from the Frenchman, who only managed two accurate crosses from an attempted eight.

The world has seen the duo combine before at Borussia Dortmund, and Xavi aims to bring back that chemistry to the team’s advantage.

2. Sergio Busquets: The imperial warrior

On a night when Pedri and Frenkie de Jong were not at the level they would have liked to be, Sergio Busquets ran the show in midfield. The veteran has come under severe criticism this season but showed exactly why he is still an indispensable part of the team.

The Spaniard was everywhere against Elche. His defensive statistics speak volumes of the masterclass he produced. Busquets was involved in two interceptions and two tackles on the night. In addition, he blocked three shots and won seven duels.

The Barcelona captain also provided two key passes and created a big chance on the night, forming an integral part of the team in attack too.

3. Dani Alves: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Against Elche, Alves provided two key passes and nine crosses with a passing accuracy of 92%. However, there is another aspect to his game that is not as promising.

Whilst undoubtedly lethal in attack, Alves’ ageing legs come to the fore in defensive transitions. Against an Elche side who were quick on the counter, the right-back struggled to keep up defensively.

Often, Ronald Araujo had to make his way to the peripheral areas to assist the Brazilian, thereby compromising the central defence.

At his age, nobody expects the full-back to play at a high-level game after game. Given that Sergino Dest could be the future of the team at right-back, one could expect the manager to give the USMNT star more minutes in the coming games.

Moreover, his promising recent form can only be rewarded with more regular playing time. One cannot help but wonder if Dest would have been a better option against a quick transition side team like Elche.

4. Ferran Torres: The true game-changer

One can be critical of Ferran Torres’ finishing, but equating his poor performance in front of goal to a lousy display would be inexplicable. Once again on Sunday, the Spaniard completely changed the game after he came on in the 45th minute.

Like Xavi mentioned in his post-match press conference, the reason for the substitution of Gavi was not linked to the 17-year-old’s performance at all. It was a tactical change that brought much-needed dynamism into the Catalans’ play.

Torres has an incredible understanding of spaces and usually times his runs to perfection. The only reason he finds himself in great positions in front of goal is his excellent understanding of link-up play and positioning. As said by the manager, a player who gets into such situations with ease will undoubtedly get plenty of goals to his name in the course of time.

After his introduction, Barcelona dominated the game with more conviction and purpose. The chances came repeatedly for Xavi’s side, but they were not clinical in front of the goal.

Torres himself missed three big chances in his 45 minutes. However, he did get the all-important equaliser for Barcelona in the 61st minute.

After seeing his impact on the game today, it is not difficult to understand why Xavi rates Ferran Torres so highly.

5. The La Liga march goes on

After tonight’s win at the Martinez Valero, Barcelona have now gone 11 games in La Liga without a loss. Their last loss came against Real Betis at Camp Nou when a late goal from Juanmi saw them drop three points. Since then, Xavi’s team have been unbeatable domestically.

Moreover, the side are now on a four-game winning streak. Across all competitions, they have not tasted defeat in eight games, with the last loss coming against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey.

Xavi has instilled confidence and purpose into the side like no other manager has managed to do. The team seem more mentally resilient than they have been in recent years.

Over the weeks, the defensive frailties have been on a declining curve and the trend of conceding late goals has come to an end too. To top it all, the team are now creating chances for fun.

There is no denying that there is still a lot of work left to do. However, the team are on the right track and more importantly, under the right person. Galatasaray are the next opposition Xavi’s team will face, and one hopes the good form will continue.