Three things we learned as Barcelona defeat Elche 3-1 in La Liga | OneFootball

FC Barcelona had a lot riding on their La Liga clash against Elche as they looked to return to winning ways after a disappointing El Clásico performance. Hansi Flick’s side needed to prove they had what it takes to compete this season.

After flying sky-high last season, Barcelona have been brought back to earth. Injuries haven’t helped the Catalan club one bit, with very few players enjoying an uninterrupted run so far.

Against Elche, Barcelona weren’t necessarily back to their best, but they managed to put three past Elche while conceding just one. It was enough to secure the three points against the newly-promoted but impressive La Liga side.

With all this in mind, here are three things we learned as Barcelona beat Elche 3-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in La Liga.

1: A spring in Lamine’s step

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Much has been said about Lamine’s performance against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Far from his usual self, the Spaniard struggled to influence the game, his injury clearly hampering him from being at his electric best.

Thus, all eyes were on Lamine when Barcelona lined up against Elche last night. It is fair to say that the Spaniard put those doubts to rest, at least in the early minutes, as the spring in his step returned.

Lamine looked close to his best at the beginning, but the physical discomfort reappeared as the game went on. Barcelona need to identify, sooner rather than later, how to help the teenager recover.

It was a promising display that reminded everyone what Lamine brings to the table, and the goal he scored should provide a massive confidence boost for the Barcelona #10 as he looks to silence his doubters in the coming weeks.

2: Unbelievable Frenkie

When it was announced that Pedri would be missing the next few weeks with an injury, the onus fell on Frenkie to step up and fill the void in the absence of his midfield partner. He is as close as there is to the Spaniard in terms of quality.

Against Elche, Frenkie started the game alongside Marc Casado. Not wearing the captain’s armband, with Ronald Araujo playing the entire game, the Dutchman led with his actions on the pitch. He was everywhere and ran the show in midfield.

With Marc Casado struggling with ball progression and Fermin Lopez not the kind to drop deep and provide support, the responsibility of forward passing fell completely on Frenkie, and he handled it in his own way.

Frenkie was spot on in his decision-making, knowing exactly when to pass and when to carry the ball forward. He almost always released the ball at the perfect time and once again reminded everyone how important he is to this team.

3: Knowing when to pass

One plague that is spreading through the Barcelona team this season is selfishness in front of goal. This was evident against Elche, as there were a number of instances where players chose to shoot despite passing options being available.

Last season, the Barcelona team played for each other and didn’t hesitate to pass when a suitable opportunity presented itself. Last night, however, Lamine, Fermin, and Rashford all had moments in front of goal where shooting wasn’t the best option.

Perhaps Ferran was the only player who almost always looked for a team-mate unless a clear chance presented itself. This isn’t a sustainable approach for a team aspiring to compete across all competitions this season.

It remains to be seen whether Hansi Flick takes steps to address this issue in the coming weeks. Rashford, in particular, needs to get better in this regard, and let’s wait and see how things play out.